


Yes I do

by pcworth



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 12:10:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 30,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10876518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pcworth/pseuds/pcworth
Summary: When Regina wants more from Emma, Emma rejects the idea that they could have more of a relationship. But when Regina moves on what will Emma do?





	1. Chapter 1

Emma let herself into the mansion through the back door. Taking off her shoes, she quietly made her way upstairs. She didn't bother knocking as she entered Regina's room. But she was surprised to see Regina was up.

"Hey, I thought you would be asleep," Emma said.

"I couldn't sleep. I was waiting up for you actually. We need to talk."

"That sounds ominous."

"I can't keep doing this."

"Oh," Emma said, and she took a seat on the edge of the bed. "So you want to stop this?"

"This … that is an appropriate moniker for it I suppose. It's not like you and I are in a relationship or anything like that," Regina said her voice beginning to shake a little as she got more upset. "It's not like I get to take you out to dinner, or take our son out for a sail."

"This is about Hook then," Emma said. "You have nothing to worry about there. I don't have any intention of sleeping with him."

"No, why would you, when you have your own personal whore right here."

"Regina, why would you say that? You know I don't feel that way about you."

"No I don't. I don't because whenever I try to talk to you about anything remotely close to feelings you shut me out. So why don't you tell me how you feel about me?"

Emma stood up. "There is no reason trying to talk to you when you are upset. You'll just be irrational and I've had a long day. I was hoping to come here and relax, but since that is the case I will just go."

As she got to the door Regina said, "don't come back."

"You don't mean that."

"Yes I do."


	2. Chapter 2

Emma woke, sat up and immediately got up.

"Where are you going?" Hook asked.

"I … I have to go," Emma said putting on her clothes. "I will um talk to you later."

She hurried off the boat, wanting to put distance between her and the mistake she had just made. She rushed home and tore off the clothes she was sure she would not be wearing anytime soon and hopped in the shower. The warm water cascaded over her, and she fell to her knees crying.

She had composed herself by the time she had to pick Henry up from school. She had seen him since dropping him off at Regina's on Friday. She no longer bothered walking him up to her house, just pulled up and let him go.

He got into the car smiling.

"Hey kid, how was your weekend?"

"It was great. Robin took me out and started to teach me how to shoot a bow. I let Roland play with some of my toys from when I was a kid and mom cooked us all dinner."

"Robin. Are things getting serious between him and Regina?" she asked almost choking over the words.

"I don't know, I guess. She is smiling a lot more than what she had been. I was getting worried about her there for a while but she seems better now."

"That's good," she said, giving a fake smile.

Emma laid down in bed that night. She had ignored calls from Hook. She didn't want to deal with that. It was a mistake. A mistake she made because the person she wanted to be with – Regina – had suddenly become untouchable to her.

"Yes, I do," the words echoed in her mind. When she had walked out that night, she had honestly not thought that it would be the last time she would share a bed with Regina. She thought Regina would get over it. She thought Regina would see this was not easy for her. She thought Regina would see that what they had was good and there was no reason to mess with it.

But Regina wasn't looking for someone to fill her bed. She was looking for someone to have dinner with, to share a family with. She had Robin to fill the void Emma couldn't.

No, not couldn't. Wouldn't.

All because she didn't want to tell her parents, who were essentially the same age as her, that the person she wanted to be with the person they once considered their greatest enemy. She saw how people still looked at Regina and she hadn't wanted them looking at her like that.

"I'm a coward," she said out loud. "A coward. And I don't deserve her after what I did."

But she knew she wouldn't be happy unless she tried to get her back.


	3. Chapter 3

Knowing she wanted Regina back in her life, and actually doing anything about it turned out to be two different things in Emma's world over the next couple of weeks.

It's not that she had changed her mind, not exactly, about how she couldn't be happy without trying to get back in Miss Mills' good graces, it was just she had no idea how to go about it. She couldn't go see her, especially after last week's village council meeting.

They had managed to be professional around each other, well Regina was professional, Emma was merely quiet unless she had to speak to her. But after the meeting, where she had given her report on the town's safety, Robin was speaking with Regina as everyone was leaving. She didn't like the casualness of their interaction and decided to go over on the "official" matter of wanting to discuss some safety particulars with the mayor. It was enough for Robin to back off and tell Regina he would talk to her later, but Regina had immediately crossed her arms and gave Emma a look that put her on the defensive from the start.

"What is so important Sheriff Swan?"

"I thought we should discuss some of the items in my report. You know the illegal street racing that has popped up."

"It sounded to me like you have everything well in hand," Regina said. "Now if you'll excuse me I would like to get home."

"Why is arrow boy going to be waiting there for you?" She regretted saying it even as the words left her mouth.

"How dare you! That is none of your concern," Regina said.

Emma grabbed her arm before she could turn away. "Wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's just …"

"Just what Miss Swan?"

"Could you not call me that?"

"It is your name."

"No, my name is Emma. You should know that after the many times you said it during orgasms."

Regina didn't even respond as she stormed off. Ever since then Regina wouldn't even look at her. She didn't even know why she said. Regina had her on edge was all, and it's not like Emma meant to be crass, she only wanted Regina to stop being so formal with her.

That had led her to where she was now, which was no where closer to knowing what to do. She was sitting at the station thinking about it when the EMS got toned out for a two-vehicle motor vehicle crash. She wasted no time getting in the cruiser to get to the scene.

Her mind went into automatic sheriff mode as she drove, thinking of what she needed to do once she arrived. The lights from the ambulance and fire truck showed her the way to the final few yards. She parked the car to block off the street but had to walk around the truck to see anything.

Once she did, she saw the black Mercedes crushed against the electric pole. Only one person in town drove a car like that.

"Regina!" she called out as she rushed over but one of the firefighters grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Sorry sheriff, but you need to stay back," he said.

"Like hell I do," she said getting free from him. The driver's side was the side up against the pole. The windshield was partially collapsed and EMS and firefighters were working on tearing the roof off to get the driver free.

Emma didn't actually see Regina until she was standing with inches of the front bumper. Both doors were sealed shut from the crash so no one had gotten to her. Her head was slumped forward onto the wheel.

"Regina!" she yelled hoping the woman would lift her head and just look at her so she would know she was ok. But she didn't.

The minutes that passed, the sound of the jaws of life cutting through metal, the whispers of the crowd that had begun to gather meant nothing to her. She only stood there waiting for some sign.

She was startled when someone put their hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her father there.

"The other drivers are over there," he said.

"Other drivers?"

"Yes. Street racing. They thought the street was clear, but then Regina … one of the cars hit hers and knocked it into the pole."

"Where are they?" she asked the venom clear in her voice.

"Just over there. I was going to take them to the station for questioning as soon as the EMTs clear them."

"I will do it,"

"I can handle it. You should stay here or go find Henry. You don't have to do this part."

She looked at Regina one more time. "Yes, I do."


	4. Chapter 4

Charming insisted on accompanying Emma back to the sheriff's office with the two young men who were accused of causing the crash where Regina was hurt. He didn't like the whole situation, although he was at a loss to say why exactly.

Before he had even approached Emma at the scene, he had seen her standing there, her eyes never leaving Regina. There was something in that look which seemed to speak more than simple concern of a sheriff for a town's resident. But when she had dismissed going to find Henry to tell him about the crash, and then insisted on questioning the suspects, he knew something was wrong.

Emma had developed into a great mother. He also knew her and Regina had worked closely at shared parenting so maybe it was natural for her concern to be greater, but something told him that wasn't it either.

They got to the sheriff's office with the suspects and put each one in an interrogation room.

"I'm taking him," Emma said indicating the young man, Derek Shaw, who was the first one to make impact with Regina's car.

"We can do this together," Charming said.

"Fine," she said entering the room. She didn't sit down, instead leaned over the table with fists pressed against it.

"Let me guess, you were just out to have a little joy ride and you didn't mean to hurt anyone? Or it was no big deal, after all you just hit the Evil Queen – no big loss. Hell, maybe you targeted her. That is her normal route home. Did you wait for her to pass through the intersection? Did you accelerate to cause the most damage? Did it make you happy to see her limp, bleeding body in that wreck of metal?"

Derek was getting scared as her volume continued to increase. He looked from her to Charming. "No, no that isn't what …"

"If she dies, I'm going to charge you with murder," Emma said. "Maybe you would like it if she dies. Then you can brag to all your friends how you killed the bitch."

"Hey, no … wait. I didn't even know it was her."

"So it doesn't matter who you killed is that what you are saying?"

"No man. Just let me explain."

"Explain what? Do you want to tell me what happened? Do you want to tell me how you have no regard for a person's life? And this person – she's great. She's the reason you even have a car to drive. She's the reason you have all the comforts of this world instead of living in some backwoods forest. She saved all of you from Pan's curse, from Zelena's plans and this is how you treat her," she yelled. "She's the mother of my son you bastard."

Emma crossed over to him, pushing the chair down and jamming her foot onto his chest. Charming grabbed her from bind, and despite her struggles managed to get her out of the room.

"Let go of me," she said pulling free.

"Emma, calm down."

"Calm down! Do you know what he did?"

"Yes, I know but you have to get a hold of yourself. If I hadn't been there what would you have done to him?" "I would have … " she calmed down a little but not so much that she didn't kick the desk in front of her moving it several inches.

"Leave. I've got this handled here. I will log the reports and to the interrogations, he said. "Go find Henry. He needs his mom right now."

"He needs his mother to not be fighting for her life right now," she said.

"Henry is probably at the hospital and that is where you should be right now. You know that right?"

"Yes I do."


	5. Chapter 5

Emma walked down the hall to where Henry sat with Snow, who noticed her first.

"Any word?"

"No," Snow said. "I think she is still in surgery."

Emma nodded and took a seat next to Henry. She knew she should probably say something comforting, reassure him that his mother would be ok. But she didn't know what to say really. She had no idea if Regina would be ok. She had stood there useless as the EMTs worked to extract her from the vehicle.

She hadn't done anything but watch as they secured her to a board and lifted her up on a gurney to and loaded her into an ambulance.

She couldn't have done anything, she knew that somewhere in her head, but it was the fact that she hadn't even tried that plagued her mind now. All she knew was Regina hadn't woken up the entire time through the extraction and there was blood.

"Here you go,"

She looked up just in time to see Robin handing Henry something to drink. He looked at Emma and gave her a small smile before taking the seat on the other side of her.

"I was telling Henry that Regina, she's the strongest person I know. She'll pull through this."

Emma remained silent. She didn't want to talk to this man who had taken her spot in Regina's life. Even as she thought it though she knew it wasn't even true. She had rejected anything more from Regina than nightly liaisons and occasional trysts in semi-public places where she as sure no one would ever see her.

She had denied herself any more than that and in doing so she had hurt Regina.

Robin had filled a void that she had simply refused to step into. She wouldn't put her arm around Regina in public. She wouldn't make Regina laugh out loud or take her for picnics in the park.

Robin was a better person than she was.

She wanted to be a better person for Regina though.

But the actions of a couple of delinquents may rob her of that chance.

They waited for another hour before Dr. Whale came out. Henry stood as did she, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"How is she?" Snow asked.

"She's critical, but we have managed to get her into a more stable condition. She suffered internal bleeding and one of her ribs broke, pushing back into her body and puncturing her lung. Her left leg is broken in two places. But it's the head trauma that has me most concerned. There is a possibility of swelling so we are going to have to monitor her closely. As it is now, I have her in a medically induced coma to hopefully keep it under control because any undo stress on her system right now would be problematic."

"What happens if there is swelling?" Robin asked.

"It depends on the severity of it, but we may have to drill a hole into her skull to relieve the pressure. We are in the process of moving her into a ICU room. I am sorry, but once she is in there, it is family only."

"You know Henry is her only family, and I am not leaving him alone," Emma said.

"That is fine, but no more than you two."

They had to wait again before they had Regina settled in a room for them to see her. Emma kept her hand on Henry's shoulder as they walked in, but she felt something drain from her as she saw Regina in the bed, machines attached to her. Medically induced coma, it hadn't meant anything to her until now as she saw the tube inserted in her mouth and the machine compressing air into her.

Henry left her side to go up to the bed. He took her hand from where it rested beside her. Emma saw his shoulders shake and even before she reached him, she knew he was crying.

"Do you think she will be ok?" he finally asked.

"Yes, I do. She has to be."


	6. Chapter 6

After two weeks of going with Henry to the hospital, Emma couldn't handle seeing Regina lying in that hospital bed any longer. The day after her surgery, they had to take her back in when her blood pressure dropped too low. Dr. Whale said it was caused by another small bleeder was found under her small intestine. He hadn't wanted to do another surgery but he didn't have any choice.

She experienced swelling on the brain, but Dr. Whale decided to wait it out to see if would go down on its own without having to put through another surgery – this time to relieve the pressure in the skull. Emma was worried about it, but in the end Dr. Whale was right and the swelling went down before it became too dangerous.

He kept her in a medically induced coma for the whole first week. When he took her off it though, she didn't wake.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" Henry asked as Emma parked the car at the hospital.

"No kid. I have things to get done today."

"Ok," he said. "I will see you later."

"Yes. Snow is going to pick you up,"

"Alright."

He got out of the car and walked into the hospital, heading straight to his mom's room. The nurses on duty said hi to him, being used to him by now. He took his seat next to her bed.

"Hi mom," he said. "Emma isn't coming today. She said she has things to do, but I heard her on the phone last night with Ruby. She was upset, said she didn't want to see you here like this. I think she feels responsible or at least she told Ruby that if she had caught those street racers before this happened then you wouldn't be lying here. She got real upset and I think she was crying."

"Emma."

Henry looked up, "Mom?"

Regina's eyes started to open, but only got part way open before closing again.

Henry ran out to the nurses' station to let them know she had spoken.

Emma felt bad about not going into the hospital, but she knew she didn't have it in her to do it today. She drove to the sheriff's office and took a seat to try and catch up on paperwork she had let sit for way too long.

She managed to fill out one line before she sat back in her chair – lost in a memory from a year ago.

Regina entered her office and took a seat as if she was sheriff and not Emma.

"Miss Swan, I received this request for additional funding for a new part-time police officer. But you failed to explain why this would even be needed. While there may be magic in Storybrooke, it still doesn't mean money grows on trees."

"Since the second curse more people from your homeland are here in Storybrooke. Crime year over year has increased, and a part-time officer would be helpful in helping to combat that. I sent the request to you, not for approval or a lecture, but so you knew I would be planning on asking village council about approving the additional funding needed."

"If you are going to go to council with this, you need to be better prepared to back up your case. You need your crime stats, salary and benefit projections, a summary on how you will you use your force to combat specific areas of concern. If you come prepared, I am sure they will approve your request."

Emma was taken aback by Regina's suggestions.

"I could help you with it if you need it," Regina said.

"You would really help with that?"

"It's a sensible suggestion. So do you think you would like some help?"

"Yes, I do," Emma smiled

That moment changed everything. Emma in the present couldn't help but smile thinking of how a month after that she had gone before the council, given a short speech along with handouts and graphs put together by Regina. There was one change from her initial request – Regina convinced her to go for full-time officer. The council voted 5-0 to approve it.

Emma had gone over to Regina's afterward to thank her. They drank some wine – not so much that either were drunk – but Emma had to admit talking with Regina was nice. It was different seeing Regina like this, and Emma liked it. She liked it so much that when Regina had leaned forward to put her glass down on the coffee table, Emma leaned too and kissed her.

Her mind was screaming at her that it was crazy for her to do so, but when Regina kissed her back, it was screaming for joy. They kissed until Regina grabbed a hold of the bottom of Emma's shirt and tugged it up. Emma broke off the kiss long enough to pull it all the way off and then reattached their lips. Regina's hands glided around her midsection, almost tickling her with a light touch down her side.

"I need … I need to feel more … of …you," Emma said between the kisses.

Regina stopped the kiss and looked at her this time. She looked at the ceiling for a moment and bit her lip. "Henry is upstairs. We will have to be quiet."

Emma smiled, grabbing Regina's hand and pulling her up the stairs. They almost tiptoed past Henry's room but as soon as the door was closed to Regina's room, Regina waved her hands.

"What was that?"  
"Silencing spell. Now we don't have to be that quiet."

The sound of her cellphone, pulled Emma back to the present. It was Snow's number.

"Hello,"

"She woke up."


	7. Chapter 7

She sat in her car, her hands continuing to press against the wheel. She didn't want to go in at the same time she wanted nothing more than to be inside that hospital. She wanted Regina's eyes to be open and looking at her. She wanted Regina to see in her eyes that she was sorry and that despite hurting her, there was no one else in this life for her.

But Emma knew Regina's eyes wouldn't be open. Snow had told her on the phone that Regina had woken for only a moment. Still it was Emma's name she had said.

That had been hours ago. She hadn't rushed to the hospital. She hadn't done anything, but make an encouraging comment to her mother and double checked that her parents were keeping Henry over night.

She had needed some time alone, yet here she was sitting in her car in the hospital parking lot way past visiting hours.

When would this hurt stop?

She got out of the car and walked in. The nurse in the ICU gave her only the barest of lectures about visiting hours, but Emma told her some lie about needing to check Regina's condition for the case against the two street racers. She didn't know if the woman believed her or not, and at this point she didn't care.

As she stepped into the room she realized this was the first time she had been in there alone. She had always been with Henry. After all what possible reason would the sheriff have for visiting Regina alone?

A small amount of light illuminated Regina's still body. Emma took a seat but unlike Henry, didn't reach out to touch her.

"You made that kid the happiest ever today by waking up," Emma said. "Snow said he was already coming up with a plan for how to care for you back home when you're discharged. It looks like you will have your very own kid butler."

She paused, turning toward the window for a moment.

"I don't know what is going to happen when you wake up and that scares me. The truth is you scare me, you always have. Not scared like I am afraid of what you will do to me. I am scared of you and how you feel about me. The whole fuck buddy thing, it was easy. I got to be with you in the only way I felt I could. Even that night you told me to get out, I knew something like that was coming because I saw how you looked at me. What used to be a look of lust, had turned into love.

"Do you remember after our first time?" she smiled. "You practically threw me out of your house. You were so concerned that I leave before Henry found me there. And after that it became a game – where could we find a private place to devour each other? What nights would Henry be at a friend's house? Could I use my magic to transport me into your bedroom?

"It was hot and you were so irresistibly sexy that there was never going to be a time that I wasn't going to rush over to your office if you had some spare time and your secretary was gone for the day. I have memorized every curve of your body and I know how to guide that body into so much pleasure."

"But you had to ruin it. You had to keep pressuring me to talk about what it meant or how I felt," Emma said, trying not to let her emotion spill over. "You know what my history has been like. You should have known better. I may have made Storybrooke my home because of our son, but you know that I am a runner. Why wouldn't I run from this?"

"We were happy. Don't try and say that you weren't, that you didn't get a thrill every time I would undress you. We didn't have to bring feelings into it. We could have just been us. I just … I just wanted to … "

"You want to know how I feel, fine, yes I do have feelings for you. But if you couldn't tell that when I was holding you in my arms, our bodies pressed together, my lips grazing upon your smooth skin, then what is the point of saying it out loud?"

Emma shook her head and stood up. She leaned over the bed and kissed Regina's forehead. "I need you to wake up. I need you to help me, to tell me what I am supposed to do. It wasn't just sex, you know that. You know that because for every time we had sex there were hours of talking. You became my best friend and I need my best friend to tell me how to not keep fucking this up. I need you lend me your strength because there is no one else in this world who can."

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

Regina started to hear thing at first – talking, no television. Henry must be watching TV, or did he leave it on, she couldn't remember. Her mind felt like it was drowning in pudding – there was a heaviness to it that she couldn't seem to break free of.

She then became aware of other sensations – she was lying in a bed that wasn't nearly as comfortable as hers own. Then she became aware of pain – it hurt to breathe and she felt pain around her midsection, and other parts of her body.

She didn't know how long it took – but it felt like forever before she got her eyes to open and even the first few attempts were more blinking than actual eye opening.

Hospital, her mind registered. I am in a hospital, but why?

A flash went through her brain – not visual just the sound of a car braking, metal rubbing roughly against metal, sirens.

Her head ached and she fought through the fog that threatened to drag her back down to sleep. She looked down her body – her leg it was elevated and in a cast. Broken, she told herself, my leg is broken. More sounds – sirens, metal on metal, brakes squealing. This time she saw light – headlights—they were speeding toward her.

She gasped a little at the memory and immediately regretted it as pain shot through her midsection.

Henry, she thought, was he in the car with me? It had to have been a car wreck.

"Henry," she said, but her voice was so raw she only managed to squeak it out, which set off a small coughing fit. Tears came out of her eyes as the pain shot through her again. She was having trouble getting her breath and she heard a beeping noise which scared her. A nurse came rushing in, and began assessing her.

"Mayor Mills, you need to calm down," the nurse said.

Calm down, couldn't the idiot tell she couldn't breathe. She told Regina to calm down once more and then another woman entered the room. She saw her prepare syringe and inject it into an IV Regina hadn't even noticed. Her eyes began to shut. Sedative, she thought before drifting away.

When she woke next, her head still felt so heavy she didn't notice anyone was there until, "Mom?"

She looked over to see Henry at her bedside. He looked fine, but she had to know.  
"You ok?" she breathed out.

"Me?" he questioned. "Yes. I am fine."

"Were you in the car?" each word taking equal parts of concentration and stamina.

"No, no I was studying at a friend's house. Snow … she came and got me. I've been so worried about you."

She was learning to take short breaths, anything more felt like it would be too much. "How ….long?"

"You've been here for two and half weeks."

She repeated the sentence in her mind.

"Anyone else hurt?"

"No. Just you."

"Good," she said getting tired again. She was still in pain but not as much as before. The way her head felt she was guessing they had her on some strong pain killers.

"Emma arrested the guys who hit you."

Emma. Her mind wrapped itself around that word. Emma had caused her pain of another kind. Her eyes wanted to close but she fought it. She wanted to stay awake, find out what was going on, and talk to her son. She realized Henry was still talking and she had not been following the conversation.

" …. Worried about you too."

"What?"

"I said mom was really worried about you, and so was Robin. He has been here every day to at least check in on you."

She would have smiled if she felt she could. It was nice to have someone worry about her she realized. She also realized Henry hadn't said that Emma had been there every day.

"Henry … get the … doctor please."

"What? Is something wrong?" he panicked.

"No … just want diagnosis."

He nodded and left the room. She closed her eyes even though she knew she was risking falling asleep. She had to have been hurt seriously. The pain and drugs were being felt so strongly, she couldn't even sense her magic and that was always there waiting beneath the surface.

She managed to open her eyes again when Henry returned. Dr. Whale came in behind him.

"Finally awake," he said. The two of them would never be friends, of that she was sure, but at least he hadn't let her die. For that and the fact she was too weak, she didn't give him any of her normal sass.

"How … bad?"

"Bad," he said. He then went through her injuries. When he detailed her multiple rib fractures and the punctured lung she knew why even breathing hurt. He said the ribs would take anywhere from three to six weeks to heal from the time of her accident. She was even less pleased to learn her broken leg could take months to heal fully.

He told her about her head trauma and how now that she was awake they would need to do some neurological tests to make sure there weren't going to be any lasting effects especially since she had experienced some swelling.

By the end of what seemed to be long lists of injuries and possible side or after effects, she was really beginning to get tired.

"You do realize how lucky you are to be alive, don't you?"

She was about to answer when she saw two people outside of the room. They must have come from opposite directions because they were facing each other. One of them carried flowers.

Her mind processed it although she wasn't sure it was processing quickly. Then there they were in the room – Emma and Robin. Robin was carrying flowers.

She looked at Dr. Whale as her eyes were no longer obeying the stay awake message she was sending it.

"Yes, I do,"


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Regina had made it three straight days of being reasonably awake, she was ready to leave the hospital. Even if it meant escaping in the dead of night which was beginning to fear would be the case.

"I'm telling you Dr. Whale is keeping me here as some sort of torture. This is payback," Regina said.

"Or he is a doctor and he knows better than you, when you should be discharged," Robin said. "You seem to forget you were in a serious car wreck and you were in a coma."

"He put me in the damn coma."

"And took you off it and you still didn't wake up right away. This is the first day you have been able to talk and breathe without constantly wincing in pain. And that is probably out of pure Regina Mills stubbornness."

"I am not stubborn," Regina said aware that while her breathing had improved she still had pain.

"Ok, you aren't stubborn. There I am sure you feel better now. Besides Dr. Whale said he would re-evaluate you tomorrow and make a decision about possibly letting you go home."

"I feel useless lying here thought. And someone even told my secretary not to bring any work here for me to do. When I find out which one of those city council members did that they will be lucky if I don't firebomb their home."

Robin laughed at her every growing frustration. "You will not be firebombing anyone's house and you know it Madame Mayor. You finally have a level of trust with most of the people in town and you aren't going to ruin it. Secondly, Emma was the one who spoke to your secretary, a move I frankly agree with. You are supposed to be resting not working."

"A little work isn't going to hurt me."

"Probably not but I'm not sure you know how to do a little work so why don't you try and relax and let people who care about you take care of you."

She gave him a smile. "I do appreciate it you know, you stopping by here to see me every day, keeping an eye on Henry. It means a lot to me to know I have someone I can rely on."

"Well don't tell anyone because it will ruin my reputation as a super stud, but I like being here for you."

"Super stud? You are trying to acclimate to this world. Although I highly doubt anyone refers to themselves as a super stud."  
"Maybe I will start a trend," he winked at her. "So I do have bad news for you."

"It couldn't possibly be worse than my current circumstances."  
"You know how Dr. Whale said you'll have to use a wheelchair at first and stay off that leg for a couple of more weeks?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly.

"Emma sort of made a good point about your house not exactly being wheelchair friendly." Regina's eyes narrowed immediately. "Now don't freak out when you see it, just remember it's temporary."

"What is temporary?"

"Henry, Emma and I simply moved a few things around, stored some other stuff and installed a temporary, emphasis on temporary, wheelchair ramp."

"You installed a ramp. A ramp at my home. The only way this doesn't sound like a bad thing is if it is made of marble and matches the architecture."

"Plywood."

"I think I will just stay here at the hospital. It's not so bad."

"We both know that isn't going to happen."

"I suppose I can put up with it. It's not like I will be traveling in and out much."

"That's the spirit. Like I said we'll through this. We've got things really well figured out. Henry is on laundry duty, Emma is going to stay at the mansion for the duration …"  
"What!"

"Emma, she's going to stay there with you until you're up and navigating on your own."

"I don't think that is a good idea."

"Why not? I thought you two had buried the hatchet with all that past stuff."

"Yes we have but … "

"She has been here just as much as I have. She's worried about your well-being too."

"I know, it's just …"

"Come on, you can't seriously think you can handle living there with just Henry. You need an adult around. Emma makes perfect sense. She's Henry's mom too, she's a she so you know um no embarrassment there if you need um any help with um stuff. It'll be ling having an extended slumber party."

Regina wasn't surprised when Emma showed up a little later in the day – but was surprised she was not with Henry as usual.

"He's at a friend's," she said when Regina asked.

"Oh." She and Emma hadn't been alone together since she had woken up. And after that first time, Regina noticed she was never there as the same time as Robin either.

"Miss Swan, there is no need for you to stay at my home during my recovery. I will be fine."

"You know I hate it when you call me Miss Swan," she said sitting down. "Just like I am sure you don't like the idea of me taking care of you, but maybe we are both going to have to suck it up because I've already moved some personal stuff into the guest bedroom upstairs although it's not the bed I prefer sleeping in."

Regina looked away from her. "You're sheriff so you're practically on call 24/7 so you getting up to respond to an emergency at 3 a.m. would hardly be conducive to my resting and recovery."

"As mayor, you know those kinds of calls don't happen very often," Emma countered. "Argue all you want, but I'm going to be there. I'm going to do whatever you need me to do."

"I need you to not make this more complicated than it already is."

Emma moved forward and took Regina's hand in hers. "Hey look at me," she said and then waited for Regina to face her. "I am not trying to make this hard on you. This isn't about what happened between us. That is all on me, I get that. But you can't do this alone, and I'm not going to let you do this alone. I was at the scene Regina. I had to … I had to watch as they tried to get you out of that car, and it wasn't a quick process. You were trapped in there and I … I needed you to open your eyes and you didn't. So you're going to have to put up with me because I have to know you are going to be ok."

Regina tried not to take a deep breath from the emotions that hit her, but she couldn't help it and the pain shot through her still sore midsection. She turned away and let go of Emma's hand. It took her a moment or two to get her breathing back to a non-pain filled state.

"Maybe some assistance will be needed," she conceded.


	10. Chapter 10

After two days Regina was already tired of the lying on the couch,

Emma had warned her that perhaps her stylish couch wasn't the best couch to actually spend a lot of sleep time on, but Regina had been stubborn and assured her that she could handle it.

The broken leg had limited her movement even more than she had expected. And she was still tired seeing as she had to take pain medication every couple of hours. When Dr. Whale had released her she thought it would be smooth sailing from there, but the pain from her multiple broken ribs had continued to bother her and she was asleep more than she would have preferred.

Emma was constantly there to make sure she had what she needed, but for the most part she avoided talking to her unless she absolutely needed something.

Last night she had stayed awake part of the night thinking about how Emma was in her house, lying in one of her guest rooms. She tried not to think about what it was like to sleep in her own bed with Emma there at her side. But her mind constantly went there – and she forced herself to remember how that ended.

Emma hadn't wanted to take their relationship beyond sex, she reminded herself. She told herself that as soon as she was better Emma would be gone again. She was torn as to whether she wanted that or not.

Each day Robin would come to see her, and each evening Emma came home from work. Each of them seemed to be equally concerned for her well-being. Each seemed to want to take care of her. She already knew that Emma wasn't interested in more than sex. But Robin was an unknown.

She liked Robin, she really did.

But he didn't invoke the feelings in her that Emma did. Even as she watched Emma clear glasses or dishes, give her another pillow or bring her a book, she could only wonder why Emma didn't see that they could have been more.

And that more than anything was why she gave Emma the cold shoulder now.

"Do you need anything else?" Emma asked after bringing an iced tea to Regina. It was four days into Regina's home confinement and Emma had yet to figure out how to reach the woman. She had hoped being attentive would be enough, but Regina kept brushing her aside every chance she got.

She just wanted Regina to see that she cared.

"I do not Miss Swan."

"Emma," she reminded her.

Regina rested her head back against the pillow. She needed to get upstairs to her room. She needed to show she was fine to get Emma to go away.

"Is it really that bad having me here?" Emma asked.

"Emma," she sighed. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you. I need to know that you are going to be ok."

"I am ok."

Emma shook her head out of frustration. "When you can walk up those stairs I will consider leaving."

Two days later Regina was alone in the house while Emma was at work and Henry was at school. She had had an argument with Emma and Robin in the last 24 hours about wanting to do some work. They were refusing to let her talk with her secretary. She had called her secretary –almost moving to the point of firing her if she didn't bring her some work to do. Her own secretary had told her to get some rest.

She would show them.

She got herself in the wheelchair – something she had managed to do after a couple of days. She wheeled herself over to the stairs.

She wasn't so stupid as to think this wasn't the best of ideas. But she wasn't about to let people tell her she couldn't go up her own stairs. She lifted herself out of the chair, using the railing to hold herself up. She was already feeling faint, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She couldn't wait to see the look on Emma's face as she came upstairs to see her there.

Regina went up the first step.

Henry came home, opening the door and immediately running to his mother who was lying on the floor at the base of the stairs.

Regina opened her eyes as she heard someone saying something to her. She saw Emma hovering over her. "Emma?"

"You stupid, stupid idiot," Emma said smiling.

"Are you ok?"

She looked over and saw Henry there beside Emma. "Um yeah," she said, trying to sit up.

"What were you trying to do?" Emma asked.

"Go upstairs."

She saw Emma's eyes tighten.

"You want to go upstairs? Fine."

Using strength Regina didn't realize she had, Emma dead-lifted her and began to carry her up the stairs. "Emma!" she cried out.

Emma took her all the way up the stairs in to her bedroom and gently lowered her down to the bed. "There," Emma said with a fierceness that startled her. "You are upstairs. Happy now?"

"Is everything ok?" Henry asked from the doorway.

"No. Your mother thinks it's acceptable to act like a complete ass or a child. Either way, she wants to act like a child, we will treat her like one."

She directed Henry out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Regina could only stare at the closed door and then lower her head back to the pillow. Yep, she thought, now you have done it.


	11. Chapter 11

"You know what you did was stupid, right?" Robin asked her.

"Yes, I do."

"Then why did you do it?" he asked as he sat in chair which Henry has moved in so he could keep her company while she was stuck in her bedroom. She quickly discovered that being up there wasn't better than being downstairs, and may in fact be worse – although more comfortable than the couch.

"I don't know," she lied. "I guess I wanted to prove I could."

"But you couldn't and managed to scare and worry your son and Emma."

Emma, even the name felt like a little bit of torture now. To have to see her day in and day out, for her to be helping her, and expressing her concern for her, but where was that devotion before. Why couldn't it have worked out?

Regina stopped the line of thinking. She had wasted enough time trying to figure out what Emma wanted. The bottom line was that it wasn't her.  
"Hey, where did you go there?" Robin asked, touching her hand.

"Nowhere," she smiled. "I was just thinking about how stupid I can be sometimes."

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me."

After Robin left, Regina lay there thinking about the man. She liked him. He was fun to be around, and he obviously cared for her. While they had spent time together they had done nothing more than kiss. The problem was she wasn't interested in having sex with him. She hadn't had sex with anyone since Emma. She couldn't deny the attraction she felt for the blonde. Even now, as mad as she was at Emma, she found she couldn't look away from Emma's ass if she bent down to pick something up.

The sex had always been great between them. Emma knew how to touch her in all the right places, and Emma would indulge Regina's need to be in control. It had started out as just sex.

_That first time had taken place right here in the bed she was lying in. She could hardly believe that they were going to be together in this way. The truth was she was extremely nervous and so fearful of Henry hearing them that she had cast a silencing spell around the room._

_She remembered making some remark to Emma about it and she had smiled at her, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her. They were kissing, neither wanting but neither conceding ground each other as they took turns trying to dominate their oral assault._

_Emma pulled back first but only to reach out and start unbuttoning Regina's shirt. She completed the task and pulled back on the shirt to ease it off while she kissed Regina again. Regina welcomed the kiss but not wanting Emma to think she was going to control anything in her bedroom she slowly maneuvered them so Emma's back was to the bed. Even while she was actively kissing she managed a smile before using her magic to push Emma back and onto the bed._

_Even more surprising to Emma was that Regina had also made all of her clothes disappear._

_"You have to teach me how to do that."_

_"Gladly my dear," she said waving her hand so that all of her clothes also disappeared. Regina climbed on the bed and crawled over Emma kissing her."_

_"Yes definitely need to teach me that," Emma said as she pulled Regina over so they were lying face to face._

_Emma wasted no time as she brought her hand down and cupped Regina's pussy, pressing a finger through the folds. Regina occupied herself by taking a hold of one of Emma's breast and palming the bottom before working her way up to the nipple which quickly stiffened. She moved slightly which broke Emma's contact with her but any protest died in her throat as Regina took her nipple into her mouth._

_Regina used her tongue to flick at the nub but let her teeth scrape along it just to remind Emma who was in control here._

_Before Regina could give the other breast its opportunity, Emma used her strength to push Regina onto her back so she could mount her. Regina knew she could use her magic to easily subdue the blonde but even as Emma forced Regina's hands above her head, Emma kissed her. Regina decided to let her have her fun - for a little while at least._

_"I want to taste you," Emma said looking her in the eyes. "Can I?"_

_Regina couldn't believe how innocent Emma made it sound and all she could do was nod her assent._

_Emma moved down her body trailing kisses all the way. Once she got into position she put light kisses on each thigh before pausing. Regina saw Emma give a smile like a kid who discovered a new toy and she wondered briefly how many times Emma had done this, if at all. The moment she felt that tongue slide in and make circles around her clit, she knew Emma was in no way inexperienced in this._

_She gripped the pillow under her head as Emma lavished her attention on Regina's pussy. A part of her thought she shouldn't let Emma assert her ability to cause her so much pleasure. That she should teach a lesson to the sheriff about patience. But it was overruled by the part of her that wanted to cum._

_She lost all sense of time as Emma seemed to know exactly how she wanted it. Even as she cried out from the orgasm she had to fight off the "Emma" that almost came out of her mouth._

_Emma came back up the bed, pulling Regina's head to the side so she could kiss her. Regina tasted herself and knew she needed to know what Emma tasted like. But not one to merely play copy cat, this time she did use her magic. After moving Emma onto her back Regina snapped her fingers this time for a bit of flair. Emma looked at her at first in confusion and then her eyes got wide as she saw the strap on now fitted around Regina._

_"Damn. I want to sign up for Hogwarts or wherever you learned to do that."_

_Regina laughed, "but first I have another lesson to teach you."_

They had sex for hours and then fallen asleep. When she woke first in the morning she panicked that Emma was still there. Somehow it didn't occur to her that Emma would still be there and with Henry due to get up she had woken Emma, shoved her and her clothes in the bathroom so she could change and then out of the house.

But that night would set off a pattern of them having sex, but along the way Regina had developed feelings for Emma. She had tried to ignore them, not wanting to expose her heart for hurt anymore. It got to be too much for her though and every time she tried to talk to Emma about it she got stonewalled until the night she told her it was over.

Even then she might have given in, but Emma wasted no time indulging in whatever it was that she was doing with Hook. It was a small town. People talk and when Regina overheard someone say the sheriff had been seen leaving Hook's boat one morning, Regina knew it was over for good.

Hook of all people. The one Emma had used as a cover to keep her parents from knowing who she really spent most of her nights with. Regina wanted to cry or scream at her but she didn't. She kept seeing Robin. Maybe she could love him. Maybe she could stand living with the illusion. She didn't know. She just knew Robin never made her feel the way she felt around Emma.


	12. Chapter 12

Emma didn't know what to do. She had been trying to get through to Regina, to show her that she cared about her, but so far she had been getting no where. Then three days ago, Regina there unconscious at the base of the stairs, had scared her almost as much as the car crash had. Then knowing that Regina had tried to get up the stairs on her own because she wanted Emma to leave.

And Emma almost had.

She was so angry at Regina for risking her own health. She was angry knowing that Regina didn't want her there. Everything had been simpler when they were just having sex. She thought fine I tried, she's moved on, I might as well bolt. But she didn't because that is what she did. She ran away when things got emotionally tough.

If she had stayed that night and talked to Regina, admitted that yes there were feelings there, then maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Regina wouldn't have been driving home that night, maybe she wouldn't have been hit by that car and almost died. She had left though. She had walked out on Regina believing her place in Regina's bed was secure when she what she should have worried about was whether her place in Regina's heart was secure.

Here she sat at Regina's kitchen table, resolved to stay, but trying to think of something, anything she could do so Regina didn't look at her so dismissively. Of course if Robin wasn't here every day she might have more of a chance.

She didn't see why Regina seemed taken with him. He didn't seem her type. She wasn't saying she was but seriously, he spent more time in the woods than he did in houses, which is why the city had put him in charge of the forests. When Henry had told her that Regina had actually gone camping with him, she almost had a heart attack. Regina wasn't the type to camp. The fact she had showed that Regina must care enough about Robin to try.

Then there was Roland. Regina had a soft spot for kids, and Roland was at the perfect age where Regina would love to spend time with him. Robin had brought him over just last night and Regina had read him a bedtime story and Roland had fallen asleep in the bed beside her. Emma hadn't been spying, she had just gone to the bathroom – upstairs – and happened to see Roland lying in bed beside Regina as Robin sat in the chair which was pulled up next to the bed holding Regina's hand.

Emma had never even sat in the chair.

Her phone buzzed. Looking down it was Regina. They had somehow ended up not talking but communicating with text messages when Regina needed something, which even if she did need something, Regina was loathe to ask Emma for help.

"Upstairs," was all it said and Emma felt like chucking it into the trash.

She walked up. "You know it wouldn't kill you to ask if I don't mind coming upstairs or throwing in a please once in a while," she said when she entered the room.

"I am dying up here. Can you please take me back down?"

"Now why would I do that after all the trouble you took to get up here?"

"Miss Swan."

"Emma. Call me Emma now and for the duration of my stay and I will carry your ass back down the stairs."

"Never mind then."

"Fine, enjoy your stubborn-induced exile up here."

"I am not stubborn."

"You are the very definition of stubborn."

"If anyone is stubborn around here it is you," she shot back raising her voice.

"That's rich coming from you."

"Miss Swan …"

"Stop calling me that."

"And what are you going to do if I don't, Miss Swan?"

"You are major league pain in my ass, do you know that?"

"If I am such a pain, why don't you tell me what you are still doing here? Isn't it your M.O. to be gone by now?"

"You want to know what I am doing here?" she said rapidly closing the distance between them. "I will show you."

She grabbed Regina's chin pulled it up as she bent down and kissed her. As their lips met Emma felt that old surge of complete and uncompromising attraction to this woman fill her. As Regina slipped her tongue in Emma's mouth, she knew no one would make her feel like this but this woman.

"Mom? Um mom?"

Emma stood up and both women stared at Henry who was in the doorway.

"Um, I heard arguing, but um yeah, I'm just going to go back to my room."

"Shit," Emma swore.

"You better go after him," Regina said in a flat voice. "After all you don't want your secret getting out."


	13. Chapter 13

Emma knocked on Henry's door before walking in. "Hey kid."

"Hey," he said not looking at her. He was sitting on his bed, so she took a seat beside him.

"I suppose we should talk about what you saw in there."

"You and mom were kissing."

"Yes we were. Um … do you have any questions about it?" she said feeling like an idiot already.

"I thought she was dating Robin."

"Dating is a pretty strong word. I mean yeah they have been … I … you see Robin is … you know let's leave Robin out of this."

"Does this mean you and mom are dating?"

"No," she said. "It's a little complicated. It's … how to explain this … your mom and me, we were getting along a lot better before and we were spending a lot of time together and then one day we kissed. And we would do that occasionally."

"Kiss?"

"Yes."

"Do you and mom like each other now?"

Emma sighed. "We did. I messed up. You know how your mom was upset, a little sad a while back? That was because of me. I … I hurt her. And ever since she and I we haven't gotten along so well."

"Why did you hurt her?"

"I didn't mean to. She thought we could date – openly date and I turned her down."

"So you don't want to date her?"

"Yes, I do," she said. "I want to be able to kiss her like I was in there but she doesn't want that now because I hurt her. I was an idiot. I know this isn't easy for you to understand, but I am here now because I want to make sure Regina recovers from this and I want her to see that I can be relied on, that I can be here when things are tough. And maybe I can show her that I am worth a second chance. Would that be ok with you if me and your mom would date?"

"Have you tried just saying you're sorry? When I do something stupid, I usually say I am sorry and she forgives me. Maybe that would work."

Emma smiled. "I wish it were that simple."

"You probably shouldn't argue with her either."

"I know. Your mom has a way of getting under my skin like no one I have ever met before so sometimes things get heated between us."

"You buy her flowers or something."

"See I should have come to you sooner," she said putting her arm around him. "There is one thing I do need you to do for me."

"What's that?"

"I sort of need you to keep what you saw between me and your mom a secret."


	14. Chapter 14

Regina hadn't slept well, but it didn't matter as she woke to being downstairs on the couch. Emma had carried her down the night before. They hadn't said anything about the kiss, but as she was being carried down the stairs she couldn't help but look at Emma's face and remember what it was like to have those lips on hers.

Even as Emma laid her gently down, their faces were so close that Regina almost kissed her. Instead she asked how the talk with Henry went. Emma backed off immediately.

"It was fine," Emma said. "He wasn't upset or anything. He was a little confused because he thought you were dating Robin. I told him that you and I had kissed before and he seemed ok with that and if um … if we wanted to kiss again."

Regina was sure she was getting the condensed version of the talk.

"It's probably best if we didn't add to his confusion by doing anything like that again," Regina said.

"Is that what you want? Because I think you enjoyed that kiss," Emma said giving Regina a half-smile, half-smirk. "You certainly didn't seem to object to it when I did it. In fact, if I recall correctly, you were kissing back."

Emma moved closer to her, and Regina wanted to tell her to go away, but she didn't. She didn't say anything as Emma sat on what little bit of an edge there was on the couch, leaned over and kissed her again.

Regina let her kiss her, relishing the feel of it, and then kissed her back. Emma, encouraged by Regina's reaction, moved closer, laid her hand on Regina's midsection and pressed in further. Regina took a sharp intake of breath.

"Damn," Emma said realizing she had touched Regina where she was probably still sore from her broken ribs. "Sorry."

"It's ok," she said.

"I'll go get your pain medication," she said and Regina heard her running up the stairs. She came back with a bottle of water and the pills. Regina swallowed two of them.

"Are you ok?"

Regina nodded. "I will be."

"Sorry, again, I … I guess I got a little carried away." Emma smiled at her and Regina smiled in return before she seemed to realize it.

"I am going to sleep for a bit I think,"

"Oh. Sure. I will let you get some sleep," she said feeling awkward again.

After she left Regina laid there for a long time staring at the ceiling. She knew she shouldn't have kissed back. She knew it would only offer encouragement to Emma and she wondered if she hadn't been in pain how far Emma, and she had to admit herself, would have taken it.

Then there was the matter of Henry.

She slept badly not only because of the couch and Emma had to leave early due to a break in downtown, so when Henry brought her a coffee, she asked him to sit.

"Emma talked to you yesterday about what you saw. Did you have any other questions or anything you want me to explain?"

"No," he said.

"Are you sure? I am sure this can be a little confusing."

"Not really. Emma explained that you two like each other and you used to kiss and then she made a mistake and hurt you. But now you are back to kissing again."

Simplistic, Regina thought, but not entirely inaccurate.

"What happened between Emma and me, it's, well, it's complicated."

"She said she wants to date you."

"She said she wants to date me?"

"Yes. She said you wanted to date her, but she turned you down, but now she wants to date you but you are angry with her so I told her to tell you that she is sorry so you can forgive her."

"And you would be ok with it, if she and I were to date?"

"Yes. It's been kind of nice to be here together, the three of us. I know it's not fun for you because of your leg, but it's cool to have both of my moms in one place."

Regina smiled at him. Her little boy was growing up into such a nice young man.

"And don't worry," he said. "Emma told me to keep the whole kissing and stuff a secret."

"She told you to keep it a secret?"

"Yes. Am I not supposed to?" he asked seeing the expression on his mother's face change.

"No," Regina said giving him a fake smile. "It's best if no one knows about your mom and me. She and I have a lot of things to talk about before we even think about dating."

"Does this mean you are going to forgive her?"

"It means she and I need to talk."

Henry went off to school and Regina spent most of the morning cursing her own stupidity. Of course Emma would ask him to keep it a secret. She didn't want to date Regina, she merely wanted to have sex with her again. She was seething in anger, not at Emma, but for the fact she had allowed herself to believe for a few moments that maybe Emma wanted something more with her.

Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Emma. "Just wanted to let you know I will be back to take you to your doctor's appointment." She added a little smile to it.

Regina wanted to throw the phone, but instead dialed a number. "Hey Robin. Emma got caught up at work, do you think it would be possible for you to come over and take me to my doctor's appointment this afternoon? You can. Thanks, you are a lifesaver."

When Robin got there he had to carry her out to his car. She tried not to compare being Robin's arms versus Emma's. Once she was secure in the car, she sent a text to Emma. "I don't need you to take me to the doctor's appointment. Robin is taking me."

She put her phone away, determined not to answer it or anything if Emma were to call or text. This appointment would determine how far along she was in her recovery and whether she was truly ready for it or not, she wouldn't be leaving without crutches. As far as she was concerned, Emma could leave her home today.


	15. Chapter 15

Emma went to the hospital, despite getting Regina's message. She saw Robin in the waiting area and went over.

"Hi Emma,"

"Hi," she said. "You didn't go in with her?"

"She insisted on going alone."

"Sounds like her."

Silence.

"Regina said you got caught up at work," Robin said after a moment.

"I did, but I am here now, so if you want to take off I can get her home."

"That's ok, I got this. You are already doing so much for her, I am glad to help out."

Emma wanted nothing more than to punch him. The problem was that Robin was quite likeable and under other circumstances she could see being friends with him. Right now though she wanted him to leave so she could talk with Regina. But she wasn't sure what kind of mood Regina was in, and the last thing she needed was some sort of public scene with her.

"If you've got this then I will head back to work. Tell Regina I will see her after work and I hope her appointment went well."

"I will let her know."

Emma left the building but not the parking lot. She parked her car back far enough out of the way that hopefully no one would notice – even if it was a sheriff's cruiser. She waited until she saw Robin wheeling Regina out to his car. She noticed the crutches lying across the wheelchair, Regina holding on to them until Robin put them in the car. She seethed in anger as she watched him help her into the car. That should be her helping Regina.

As they drove off Emma continued to sit there.

She kept playing back last night in her mind. Was it the kiss? Was Regina upset with her about the kiss? Why the sudden change? She had finally thought she was getting somewhere with Regina. She knew the brunette would be hard pressed to resist her kissing. Emma had practically made an art form out of kissing Regina's body. She was sure Regina had thought about that as they kissed the night before.

As hard as she tried, she could not see any reason why Robin was taking her place today. Clearly Regina had arranged it, but why?

Her phone beeped and she checked the text message – her eyes narrowing.

She put the car in gear and sped off.

Emma stormed through the door, heading for the fridge. She had stashed a couple of beers in there without Regina knowing. She used the countertop to pop off the lid and drank half a bottle down. This wasn't happening. She wouldn't let this happen, she thought as she drank down more.

"Miss Swan, what are you doing?"

Emma looked to see Regina in her wheelchair in the doorway.

"I'm drinking a beer, what does it look like?"

"I can see that," she said. She paused before saying anything else, studying the blonde, who was agitated by something. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Bad day at work."

"I've seen you have a bad day at work and that is something different. What's wrong?"

"What is wrong is that being sheriff in this town is bloody useless. I should have left this town a long time ago."

Regina was genuinely concerned now. Emma never spoke like this. She had been fully prepared to tell Emma to leave this evening, but now she wanted to find out what was wrong.

"You do a lot of good for the town, why would you say something like that?"

"Did I do a lot of good for you?" She drank down the rest of the bottle and then got another from the fridge. "Tell me, how is your life any better with me here? It's not. No wonder you are so eager to jumpstart things with Robin."

"This is about Robin then?"

"No, it's not about your precious Robin."

"Miss Swan, all you are doing is confusing me at this point so why don't we skip to the part where you tell me what is bothering you?"

"You know what is bothering me, this entire town is bothering me," she said taking off her badge, slamming it on the counter and walking out despite Regina calling out to her.

When Emma didn't answer her calls or texts, Regina resorted to calling Snow.

"She stormed out of here upset about something; I just want to make sure she is ok."

"She did the same thing at the station earlier," Snow said "Charming said the prosecuting attorney came in to today to tell them that they are giving the other drivers in the crash plea deals. They are dropping the major charges including the attempted murder and pleading down to reckless operation. Without priors the recommended sentence is going to be community service. She apparently had some choice words for the prosecutor concerning it."

"They were charged with attempted murder?"

"Yes, Emma pushed for it. You didn't know?"

"No. To be honest, I hadn't really thought much about it. I still don't remember a lot about it. None of that matters now. We need to find her and make sure she is ok."

"We will," Snow assured her. "I will call you when we find her."

She hung up and Regina sat there in the wheelchair. She wondered why Emma hadn't told her about the attempted murder charges. That seemed a little harsh to her. It was an accident; no one had intentionally hit her, so why did Emma push for it?


	16. Chapter 16

"Thank you for doing this," Regina said to Robin after he got her into his car.

"It's quite alright. I found out where they would be gathering. Are you sure she is going to be there?"

"I am sure."

"Then I suppose we should go stop her from doing something stupid," he said putting the car in gear. He drove them to near the docks. There were several cars already parked in the area and people were gathered around them. Robin parked the car nearby, but out of the way. Regina looked around for Emma but all she saw was more souped-up cars, all with large engines. More cars and people showed up.

"Do you want to tell me what is going on between you and Emma yet?" Robin asked.

"There is nothing going on between us."

"Regina I think I at least deserve a little honesty."

She looked at him. "You do deserve it but I wasn't lying. There is nothing going on between Emma and I. But there used to be. She and I … we were involved up until a few months back. It ended before you and I ever went on a date."

"I kind of guessed, not that you gave anything away, but Emma … when you got hurt, well she wasn't acting like a sheriff and she wasn't acting like you were only the mother of her son. She was pretty torn up about it. You never said anything, and she never said anything so I didn't say anything. I figured if you thought it was important enough to tell me at some point, you would. Do you mind if I ask who ended it?"

"I did. I didn't want to. The whole relationship it started out a sexual thing, but as time went on I started to develop feelings for her."

"You fell in love, didn't you?"

"Yes. She unfortunately didn't feel the same."

"I doubt that. Like I said she is easier to read than you are."

Regina shrugged. "I thought there were feelings there, but when I finally worked up the resolve to ask about having a more open relationship she shot down the idea completely. It bothered me that she felt it was ok to go to dinner with Hook, but come to my bed at night. I just wanted something more. She didn't so I ended it."

"You deserve to be with someone who will have a relationship out in the open with you," he said. "I would like to be that person. But I think it is best if you resolve things between you and Emma first because despite what you say there is something there between you and you owe it to yourself to figure it out."

"There isn't anything to figure out. She and I … we kissed yesterday and Henry saw it. She talked to him and well she told him he needed to keep it a secret. Does that sound like someone who is ready to have an open relationship with me?"

"It sounds like you two need to talk and clear it up once and for all. And if it as you say then I will still be here. I'd still like to give us a chance."

"I do like you. I have feelings for you. I don't want you to think I using you."

"I didn't think that."

"Good," she said putting a hand on his. "You've meant a lot to me these last few months."

They sat there in silence after that. Regina went back to looking at the cars and the crowd. Every once in a while one of the engines would rev up. Two of the cars lined up and she watched as they raced down the street to the cheers of others.

"How did I not know this stuff was going on?" she asked.

"They move around all the time. I was lucky to learn it would be here tonight."

She went back to watching them. The sounds were giving her a headache and she closed her eyes for a moment. Her mind flashed back to the crash – the sound of the engines she has heard just before seeing the headlights …

"Emma," Robin said.

She opened her eyes to see where he was pointing. There was Emma across the way from them. She was standing between two warehouses watching the crowd.

"What is that in her hand?" Regina asked.

"I think it's her gun."


	17. Chapter 17

Emma watched Derek has he laughed freely with his friends – keeping close to his rebuilt car. It hadn't take him long to rebuild it after he posted his bond and gotten out of jail. While Regina was still lying in a hospital bed, all he cared about was his car. His friend, Carl, who was the other driver, was nearby, also joking about as if their actions had no consequences.

It appears in the eyes of the law here they didn't.

Community service. They could have killed Regina and all they were going to get was community service.

It wasn't fair.

Her service revolver was gripped in her hand, and the weight of it was reassuring to her. She saw Derek get ready to get into his car for another race and she took a step forward. A hand grabbed her and she spun around.

"Robin?"

"What's say I give you a ride home?"

"Leave," she said and the sound of the engine roaring brought her attention back to the race. Derek was now in the car. She would have to wait until the race was finished.

"Emma."

She turned at the sound of that voice, which sounded more strained than she had ever heard it. Standing there on a pair of crutches was Regina.

"Don't," Regina said.

"He hurt you."

"Not nearly as much as you will if you do this."

Emma again let her eyes drift back to that race car. As its tires squealed and it took off, Emma's anger soared with it.

"Please Emma, let's go home."

She kept her eyes out there on the crowd. If she looked at Regina she knew she would lose her grip on her anger and her resolve. She needed to teach these guys a lesson. She needed to let them know there were consequences to their actions – just like there was a consequence to hers.

"Robin, can you give us a moment?" Regina said.

"Can you get back to the car alright?"

"Emma will help me."

"I will be there waiting then."

Emma heard Regina's crutches moving and the heaviness of her breaths. She knew Regina should be home resting and not on a pair of crutches in an alley. Regina moved to stand beside her, and while she could see her in her peripheral, Emma would not look directly at her.

"You can't do this," Regina said. "You aren't a killer."

"Look at them. They are out here laughing, having fun, and racing cars like they didn't just put you in the hospital. They shouldn't get away with this."  
"Get away with what? This wasn't intentional on their part. Yes, they shouldn't have been street racing. And yes you as sheriff should do something about this, but do it as sheriff. You have no business being out here right now and neither do I. I'm tired. I'm sore and I should have listened to the doctor earlier when he said it was probably too early for using the crutches for more than a trip to the bathroom. Now can we go home?"  
"Why did you have Robin take you to your doctor's appointment? I would have been there. I would have taken you. What did I do wrong this time? I thought we were getting somewhere. You kissed me back."  
"I know I did. I shouldn't have though."  
"So that's it. I fucked up and I don't get another chance?"  
"Another chance at what? What is it that you want?"  
Emma opened her mouth to say something, anything but then she stopped and looked away.  
"See, you don't even know what you want how am I suppose to know?"  
"I want to be able to lie beside you in your bed," Emma said softly. "I want to be able to hold you as you sleep."

"Then I guess that is all I can offer you tonight," she said. "And we will have to work out the rest later. But for now, I really want to get off of these crutches."

She was relieved when Emma nodded and they made their way to the car. Robin helped her into the passenger seat. They drove to Regina's house where Robin insisted that he bring the wheelchair out for her. She didn't have the strength to argue. Robin wheeled her into the living room.

"Where's Henry?" Emma asked.

"At your mom's for the night."

"I should get going," Robin said.

"Thank you," Regina said. "For everything."

"Just remember what I said."

She nodded. Once he was gone, Emma locked up things and returned to the living room.

"Do you want me to make up the couch for you?"

"I thought the deal was we sleep in the bed tonight – together?"

"Are you sure?"

"I am not sure about what's going to happen with us, but yes I am sure I would like to have your arms holding me."

…

Emma woke first, her body still pressed against Regina's. The brunette was forced to lie on her back because of her leg so Emma said laid against her, left arm lying atop Regina's midsection and her face was lying just next to Regina's shoulder. She raised her head to see Regina sleeping and she smiled at this sight before her. How had she not noticed from the very beginning what a perfect woman she was.

She placed a light kiss on Regina's bare shoulder.

And then another. And another. And another until she heard small humming noise come from Regina. "Good morning," Emma said whispered, giving her another kiss and moving so she was part way over Regina and kissed her neck. She let her tongue linger in that spot where Regina's neck and shoulder met – a spot she knew Regina loved.

She kissed along Regina's neck, up to her ear. "I've missed this," Emma said.

Regina woke to the feeling of Emma kissing her. She had fallen asleep way to quickly the night before that she hadn't gotten the chance to enjoy feeling Emma's body next to her. Now to wake up to the feel of her, it was something she didn't think she'd ever feel again. When Emma moved and began kissing her even more she immediately got caught up in the feeling. Then she heard Emma whisper, "I've missed this." What she wanted to hear Emma say was "I've missed you."

Her mind told her that this was just Emma's way, but her heart ached to hear some confirmation that she wasn't alone in her feelings.

She turned and kissed Emma and forced herself not to get caught up in it. "I'm not ready for any more activity," she said. "After last night I am still tired."

"Of course," Emma said. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get carried away."

"It's ok," Regina said.

Emma kissed her again. "I will just have to be patient," she said. "Not that it will be easy." She again kissed Regina, and while Regina kissed back she got that feeling in her stomach – the same one that lead her to breaking things off with Emma in the first place. Why couldn't Emma just tell her that this was more – more than a physical attraction? If she knew, if Emma would give her something then it would make this more bearable. But all Emma did was kiss her.

Emma sensed that Regina was pulling away from her again as she felt her stiffen. What was she doing wrong? Why couldn't she make the good feelings last? She didn't understand why Regina did this. It was like she would get so far and then this. It happened before when they were in a relationship. Despite what Regina may think it was a relationship to Emma. It wasn't just sex. She should have told Regina last night when Regina had asked her what she wanted that everything she wanted was right there in her. But she hadn't. If she said it now she was afraid Regina would think she just trying to get into her panties. Not that she didn't want in there, she certainly did, especially knowing that Henry wasn't home which meant there was no need for a silencing spell. With Regina still banged up it was best that she didn't do anything to endanger her.

"I should probably shower," Emma said.

"You probably should," Regina responded.

Emma got out of bed and entered in the bathroom. As she heard the water turn on, Regina wished she had been able to join Emma in there. Robin was right; she needed to talk with Emma. She needed to determine once and for all if she was holding out hope for the impossible.

Emma stepped into the shower thinking how nice it would have been to have Regina there with her. She thought about some of their more adventurous nights in there. One in particular came to mind. They had entered the shower kissing and touching each other in every available spot their hands could reach. It was one of those nights where neither was willing to give up control. But like most of those nights, it was Emma who ended up giving in. Regina practically slammed her against the wall just under the shower head. Emma was facing it and Regina was behind her, Regina's hands cupped to each of her breasts. When Regina pulled on one her nipples extra hard, Emma cried out a little more than she would have liked.

She felt Regina stop. "Did I hurt you?" Emma was struck by the obvious concern in the other woman's voice.

"No," Emma said. "Keep going."

As Regina started back up, Emma knew it was with less vigor as if Regina was afraid she had hurt her. It wasn't to say Regina wasn't still being passionate. Regina spun her around and locked their lips together. Emma thought they might both drown as the water poured down on top of them and they didn't come up for air until they were both satisfied with the war their tongues played out against each other.

Regina had one hand down at her pussy working her clit the entire time they kissed. Regina dropped to her knees and paused only a moment before licking the length of the Emma's pussy. She tilted her head down so she could see Regina there working her tongue and mouth to give her the orgasm they both desired. She watched as the water cascaded down her body. She felt it run down her pussy even as she felt her own wetness being sucked down by Regina's mouth. While she wanted to hold off, the sight of Regina on her knees like that was enough to send her over the edge.

Later when Emma left a satisfied Regina in her bed and was sneaking out the back door to get to her car, she was struck by the fact that while it was Regina who had taken control that night, usually that meant Emma was the one on her knees. And the concern she heard in Regina's voice when she had thought she had hurt Emma, there was emotion in that sound that Emma wasn't used to hearing from her sex partner.

She got into her car to drive off, where she hoped no one had noticed her car down the street for too long, she wondered if Regina was starting to have feelings other than lust for her. She shook her head dismissing the idea and pulled away.

Emma finished up her shower thinking about that night. It was her first clue that Regina might have more invested in it than sex. She dried off her body remembering her initial reaction to it – she hadn't only dismissed it, she had come to the determination that if it that was the case then she would simply end it with Regina. She couldn't have a relationship beyond sex with this woman, of that she was sure.

She felt those fears and doubts creep into her. How could she possibly tell her parents about her and Regina? What would other people think? It was an insane idea. The way their lives had played out there couldn't be two more incompatible people. Regina had a big part in why she grew up without a family. She had tried to kill Emma's mother on more than one occasion. While a truce had been called with all of that, it was will another matter of actually saying to her family I am dating the former Evil Queen.

How did she reconcile this? How was she supposed to be with Regina?

"Emma, are you ok in there?"

"Yeah," Emma called out. She took one of Regina's robes and put it on, and walked out while she dried her hair. She saw Regina still lying there in bed and her heart ached with all that she wanted to say and needed to say to her. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed her eyes never leaving Regina, although she kept her eyes on Regina's body – she couldn't look her in the eyes. Not yet.

"We need to talk," Regina said.

"I know."

"You know this isn't going to be an easy talk."

"Yes, I do," Emma said.

Regina sighed feeling the distance between them now more than ever. "I need to know what you want. It's as simple as that. You hold all the cards here."

"It's not as simple as you make it sound," Emma said.

"I suppose not."

Silence.

Emma raised her chin and met Regina's eyes. She could see the sadness gathering in the pools of those irises already. She reached out and cupped Regina's chin, moving in and kissing those lips ever so gently. She moved back maybe and inch, making eye contact.

"I love you," she said. "I love you, but I don't know how to do this."


	18. Chapter 18

When Regina heard Emma say those words her heart filled up with joy. Emma loved her. She pulled Emma in for a kiss. "I love you too," she said in between kisses. She deepened each kiss, wanting to pour all that love into them.

"Whoa, whoa," Emma said after a few minutes. "You are going to be seriously testing my patience if you keep that up. Injuries or no injuries I am not going to be able to resist touching you more if you keep kissing me like that."

"Sorry. I got carried away," Regina smiled.

"I'm not complaining. I am giving you fair warning that if you keep it up I am not going to be able to control my actions," Emma said looking down at that body that she so wanted to fuck. It had been way too long. When she looked back up she saw a tear coming down Regina's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Regina said wiping away the tear. "I just … I thought … I didn't know if you had feelings for me or not and I had convinced myself that this was a one-sided thing, that you were only interested in me for the sex."

Emma leaned in and gave her a small kiss. "I'm not very good at this talking stuff. It started out as a sex thing; I think we can both agree on that. But things changed between us. I did have feelings for you, but the only way I knew how to express that was in the physical sense. Like I said this talking stuff isn't something I do well. When you told me it was over, I … I thought you would get over it in a couple of days. When you didn't …"

"When I didn't you slept with Hook," Regina said.

"You knew?"

"The whole town knew. You should have been a little more discreet about leaving his boat that morning. I know it's not any of my business but was that the only time?"

Emma turned her head and then nodded no. "That wasn't the first time I had slept with him, just the first time at his boat like that."

"Oh," Regina said. "So while you and I were having sex you were having sex with him?"

"It was only a few times, but yes," Emma said feeling more ashamed. "I should have told you."

"You should have," Regina said. "If nothing else because we were having sex, but we weren't going out in the official sense so I guess I have no right to make a claim that you cheated on me."

"You have every right to feel that way. I feel like I cheated on you. I'm sorry."

"Then why? Why did you do it? And does he know about me?"

Emma stood up, "No one knows about you. Up until Henry and I guess Robin now, no one knows. That was the point of carrying on in secret. That is why I said I don't how to do this. I don't know how. I love you, I do, but … I don't know how to be in a relationship with you."

"Because I am a woman?"

"No, because you are Regina Mills, mayor and former evil queen. I'm sorry. I don't see you that way you know this, but other people they do. And then there are my parents … I thought you would change your mind and we would go back to the way things were because having you at least that way in my life was better than nothing at all. Then you started seeing Robin and I was angry at you. Believe me I know I had no right to be, but I was angry all the same. Not just angry that he could share your bed, but he could share all those other parts of your life—the hand holding, the going to dinner, the public displays of affection. He got to have everything I wanted."

"But you could have had those things too."

"How? Seriously, tell me how we do this without pissing people off? How do we do this without fucking it up and ending back to where we aren't talking or seeing each other? Because I don't know if I can do that again. You were in the hospital and you wouldn't wake up, and I wanted you to wake up. I needed you. I needed your strength and I still need it. Please, tell me how we do this."

Like an echo from the past, Regina heard other words in her mind. Emma's voice sounding like it was far away. "You want to know how I feel, fine, yes I do have feelings for you. But if you couldn't tell that when I was holding you in my arms, our bodies pressed together, my lips grazing upon your smooth skin, then what is the point of saying it out loud? I need you to wake up. I need you to help me, to tell me what I am supposed to do. It wasn't just sex, you know that. You know that because for every time we had sex there were hours of talking. You became my best friend and I need my best friend to tell me how to not keep fucking this up. I need you lend me your strength because there is no one else in this world who can."

"Regina, Regina!"

She came back to reality with Emma shaking her, the other woman again sitting on the bed looking at her with fear and concern.

"You spoke to me," Regina said. "When I was in the hospital. You were there, weren't you?"

"Yes, you knew that," she said hesitantly, not sure what Regina was talking about. All she knew was that when Regina went silent it had scared her.

Regina saw that look of fear and realized it wasn't the first time she had seen that look on Emma's face. She had seen before on several occasions – always when she was alone with Emma. She hadn't recognized it for what it was – Emma was scared. She was scared of what this was between them. She was scared because she really didn't know what to do.

Regina pulled in closer, hugged her. "We'll figure this out. Together. I promise."


	19. Chapter 19

Emma allowed Regina to hug her, hold on to her, even as Emma tried to push back against the feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her. We'll figure it out Regina had said, but Emma didn't know how that would even be possible.

Finally, Emma left her arms to get dressed and then she helped Regina dress and get back downstairs.

"The plea hearing for the street racers who hurt you is tomorrow," Emma said. "Part of the reason the prosecuting attorney told me about the plea deal is so I would let you know. They are supposed to talk to the victim about these things before they do it, but apparently he was too chicken shit to tell you himself."

"I talked to him when I was in the hospital. I told him to handle it at he saw fit."

"Why would you do that? Don't want you to see them punished? They could have killed you!"

Regina could tell Emma was getting upset all over again and she would need to try and calm the blonde down. Knowing what she had to say next wasn't likely to do it. "What I want is for the sheriff's office to put an end to this street racing culture that has popped up in our town before someone else gets hurt. I also think you should put your father in charge of that, and you need to take a step back from it."  
"What?"

"You heard me. You are too close to this situation and you could do something irrational that could hurt the prosecution of not just the two involved in my accident but the others. As for the two other drivers from the crash they are about to plead guilty and get sentenced. That will give them priors so the judge won't go as easy on them the next time around."

"There shouldn't be a next time around," Emma said. "Why can't anyone else but me see that they deserve jail time for what they did to you? If Henry had been in the car with you and he was hurt would you still be sitting there all calm?"

"I would not," she said. "But I am no longer interested in handing out my own brand of punishment every time someone wrongs me. That is how I became the Evil Queen in the first place and I am trying to move beyond that part of my past. I won't sit by and watch you go down that path either. Emma you were standing there with a gun last night. What would you have done if Robin and I hadn't come?"

"I don't know."

"What were you even thinking?"

"I don't know. I just … why should they get away with it. They hurt you and they're getting away with it, and I … I hurt you and I'm probably just going to end up hurting you again because … I don't know to do this."

"You keep saying that, but what do you mean exactly?"

Emma bit her bottom lip. "It's not like I don't want to be with you. I do. But do you think the world out there is going to let that happen?"

"You are afraid of what other people will think?"

"Aren't you?"

"Not really. I have spent most of my life with people having an unfavorable opinion of me that I learned to block it out. You said this wasn't about me being a woman; that it was about me being me. You are worried about what people will think of you dating the Evil Queen."

"I don't see you like that, and I really wish you wouldn't refer to yourself as that. But … let's say you were ok and we decided to go to the movies or out to dinner, the moment we would act like we were a couple people would be talking and judging and … I like what we had before, not because of the sex but because it was us, we were together and we didn't have to worry about the outside world."

"We can't go back to that; I can't go back to that. I can't. I'm sorry. If you want to be with me, you are going to have to accept that it means other people – the outside world will know about us. I am not saying we have to make a grand announcement or it needs to happen today or tomorrow, but it has to happen if you want this. I will be with you every step of the way. You don't have to do it alone."

"What if I don't know if I can?"

Regina exhaled deeply. "What exactly are you so afraid of?"

…

Emma took a walk in the park. She had left Regina feeling again like a dirt bag. Why couldn't she just say it? Why couldn't she just say that it wasn't just the outside world she was afraid of, it was her parents' disapproval.

There was no way her parents would accept Regina as her girlfriend. But dropping the other shoe – telling them that she was in love with Regina, how could she do that? After growing up being rejected from foster family after foster family, she knew being rejected by her real family would be worse than getting her heart ripped out.

She knew her parents didn't approve of Hook, and while that was nothing more than a way to distract anyone and everyone from the fact she had carrying on a secret relationship with Regina, her parents didn't stop themselves from hinting at their disapproval of him. With Regina there would be no hinting, they would flat out tell Emma they wouldn't allow it.

She wanted Regina to see that it wasn't the right time, and it may not be the right time for a while – maybe never. But they could keep seeing each other. No it wasn't ideal, but it would be them together and shouldn't that be all that matters? Henry knew, but Henry could keep a secret so they could make it work. If Regina would see that, and agree to go back to how it was then things could progress. Regina now knew that Emma loved her. Emma would tell her every day happily.

But she couldn't do this other thing, not yet.

"Emma?"

She turned.

"I thought that was you," Snow said catching up to her. "What are you doing out here? What happened to you yesterday? Regina calls because you left her place upset and then all me and your father get is a text saying you were ok and back at Regina's. What is going on?"

"Mom …"

"Honey, what is it?" Snow asked seeing that Emma looked to be on the verge of tears.


	20. Chapter 20

When Emma didn't immediately talk, Snow directed them over to a bench.

"What is it?" she asked putting a comforting hand on her knee.

Emma kept her eyes on the ground. Her heart was racing.

"I've …I've made mistakes," Emma said. "And I've done things I'm not proud of."

She paused.

"Things got out of hand. I didn't mean for things to get complicated and when they did I took the coward's way out. Now I don't know what to do."

"It can't be all that bad," Snow said. "You are a good person. Tell me what this is all about and I will help you through it."

Emma turned to face her mother. "I fell in love with someone."

….

Regina got back to the couch from her short trip to the bathroom. She hated crutches.

These injuries made her feel so – weak. Combine the physical with the emotional turmoil she was going through and she had never felt so out of sorts.

Emma loved her, she knew that now. The problem was Emma's love for her may not be enough for to overcome her fear.

She understood that this wasn't going to be easy for either one of them. When she started to have feelings for Emma she had considered the challenges that they would have to overcome. The Savior and the Evil Queen – it was like a poorly written script, but it was their lives and Regina wanted to live out that life with Emma.

Even if she was tolerated in town, people genuinely liked Emma. People wouldn't be harsh to her. They might question Emma's choice, but they wouldn't shun her completely. It didn't make any sense – Emma was the bravest person she knew. She didn't let fear rule her, which made this all the more confusing for her.

Then there was the matter of Hook.

As much as she played it off that she had no right to be upset with Emma, she felt betrayed. When she first learned of Emma leaving Hook's boat that morning she thought her heart would break. Now to learn Emma had lied to her about Hook all along, it felt like a slap in the face.

When she and Emma had first started sleeping together, it became apparent early on that all the excuses they made to different people wouldn't be enough to keep hiding their liaisons. It was tough because they shared custody of Henry which meant when Emma didn't have him, Regina did, so they most of their hook-ups occurred during the day while he was in school. For the first time in her career as mayor she began taking lunch breaks.

Then Emma started to get worried because her parents, and the way she made it sound – half the town – were concerned that she didn't seem to very sociable and needed to get out more. That is when Emma started to "date" Hook. The idea, or so Emma said, was that as long as people thought she was occupied they wouldn't be curious or asking questions which could lead to them being discovered. Regina didn't like the idea at all but it's not as if she could really tell Emma no. She tried to without saying it directly; trying to convince Emma that there was another way – that they could be more discreet or maybe see each other a little less.

But Emma felt this was the best way to divert attention.

She should have known there was more to Emma's relationship with Hook. In fact, she did know, she didn't want to admit it though.

Emma had been seeing Hook for maybe two months, when it happened.

Regina had been at home when the call came in – it was from Snow. She was calling to let her know that Emma was in the hospital so wouldn't be able to pick up Henry for the weekend. Although Snow said Emma was fine, Regina had gotten Henry and went to the hospital.

Emma had been chasing a suspect in a domestic violence case and as she tackled him they went down two flights of stairs at the apartment complex and she got a concussion. They had gotten to the hospital and found her room – Henry had gone running in. Regina stayed at the door watching as Henry hugged his other mom. In the room with them were Snow, Charming and Hook.

That was the moment she knew.

She didn't fit in that room – she probably never would.

Thinking back to it now, Regina wondered if that is what Emma had known all along. Had she known Regina could never fit in her world, but was too afraid to come out and say it? That the feelings they had didn't matter because their relationship didn't work beyond the boundaries of whatever place they chose to fuck in.

It made sense that it was the weight of that knowledge that was pulling Emma down.

After all Regina felt the weight of it as well.


	21. Chapter 21

Emma returned to Regina's that night with some pizza for them and Henry. She had called earlier to let Regina know when she'd be back and that she would bring dinner. Pizza was not at the top of Regina's approved dinner list, but it would have to do.

"Hi," Emma said to her as she peaked into the room before going to the kitchen with the pizza. She yelled up to Henry to let him know dinner was ready and then returned to Regina. "Feeling up to dinner at the table?"

"Sure," Regina said. She got up on the crutches and made her way into the dining room. When she saw the pizza she gave Emma a look but didn't say anything. They ate their food and Regina studied Emma throughout as she spoke with Henry. Some of the nervousness that Emma had shown earlier seemed to be diminished or at least not as noticeable. She let Henry and Emma do most of the talking throughout dinner. The truth was, she wasn't that hungry and she had a headache. She managed to eat a couple of slices and then she excused herself and went back to the couch and laid down.

Emma cleaned up after dinner, checked on Regina who was asleep and then went upstairs to play a few video games with her son.

After an hour and half of games with Henry, Emma went back downstairs to check on Regina, who was lying there with her eyes open. Emma moved Regina's legs up and sat down, placing the legs down on her lap.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes," Regina said. "Just had a headache."

"It was nice, sitting down and having dinner with you and Henry."

"It's not just a headache," Regina said. "I've been thinking about things since you left; thinking about what you said about how difficult this could be if we were to pursue a relationship."

"What do you mean if? I thought that this is what you wanted. You, me, Henry. Don't you want that?"

"Yes, I do," Regina breathed out. "It's … you are so upset about all of this. There are so many complications. It will change how people look at you and what if you resent me for this? What if you wake up one day and you resent because I did this to you? I am asking you to change your whole life and for what, the chance this will work out? Maybe, I … I am asking too much. You went out with Hook because he made more sense for you than me. Maybe that is what this boils down to – I don't make sense in your life."

"Whoa," Emma said. "I'm the one who is supposed to freak out, not you."

"Do we need to take a step back from this? You know to figure out what we want."

"I told my mother about us."

"Oh."


	22. Chapter 22

"You told your mother about us. You told your mother about us," Regina repeated. "When? How?"

"Um today at the park. It just sort of happened."

"Sort of happened? How does something like that sort of happen? Hi mom I've had sex with a woman you spent most of your life hating, surprise. Why are you waiting until now to tell me? You …"

Emma cut her off by kissing her. "Would you relax; it wasn't that bad. I think she's still trying to process it all and at times she was sort of quiet about it."

"Quiet. Quiet isn't good," Regina said.

"Quiet isn't bad."

"Was she quiet as in shocked or quiet as in appalled, or quiet as in she is now plotting various ways to kill me?"

"The first one. Maybe," Emma said. "You um freaking out isn't helping. I've been on edge all day and then you know we were having dinner and I couldn't just tell you at dinner with Henry there. I … I thought this is what you wanted."

"I do, but … did you have to start with Snow?"

Regina felt like her heart was going to explode from anxiety, but then she realized that whatever she was feeling Emma must be feeling it ten times worse. She took a couple of breaths and then put her hand on Emma's. "Tell me what happened. I said we would figure this out together."

_"You fell in love with someone," Snow said. "Honey, that isn't a bad thing. Love is a wonderful gift."_

_"You wouldn't say that if you knew the whole story."_

_"Then tell me it. Whatever this is, it is bothering you. I just want to help."_

_Emma looked off into the distance._

_"I take it this person is Hook," Snow said finally. "I know you two were spending a lot of time with each other."_

_"Would that be ok with you, if it was Killian?"_

_Snow looked into her daughter's eyes and saw the apprehension there._

_"It doesn't matter who it is," Snow said. "As long as you love them and they love you. Emma, your father and I we love you no matter what. Nothing is going to change that. If Killian is the one you want to be with then be with him."_

_"It's not Killian."_

_"Oh," Snow said. "Who is the lucky guy then?"_

_"It's not a guy."_

_Snow paused a moment before saying, "Oh. It's a not a guy. I mean she's not a guy."_

_"She most definitely is not."_

_Snow looked away this time and Emma watched her, trying to figure out what she was thinking or feeling. Finally, her mother turned back to her, taking her hands in hers._

_"I admit, I'm a … this is … if you liked women, why didn't you say something before?"_

_"I don't know. I … I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it. We haven't been a family for a real long time and … I didn't want to disappoint you."_

_Snow sighed. "I take it this woman makes you happy?"_

_"She does. I mean she's aggravating as all get out, but that's part of her who she is."_

_"And you love her?"_

_"Yes, I do."_

_Snow again looked off into the distance, which set Emma's nerves on edge. She wondered what was going on in her mother's head._

_"You said earlier that you made mistakes and had done things you weren't proud of, what did you mean by that?"_

_"She and I have … we were sort of carrying on in secret, but she wanted more. She wanted us have a relationship like anyone else – one out in the open, and I said no. I hurt her and I've been trying to patch things."_

_"So you aren't actually in a relationship with her right now?"_

_"It's complicated. When I was seeing Killian, I was also seeing her in secret and … I made some wrong decisions."_

_"Emma,"_

_"I know, I know. You can't say anything that I probably haven't said to myself. I was wrong, I know it. But I am trying to be a better person for her."_

_"You are willing to have an open relationship with her then?"_

_"Yes."_

_Snow stood. "I will tell your father tonight. Bring her to dinner tomorrow night at our place."_

_"Um, I am not sure that is a good idea."_

_"Emma, if you are serious about wanting to pursue an open relationship with her then it seems to me you need to show her you are serious. Dinner tomorrow night."_

_"Don't you want to know who she is first?"_

_"You can introduce us tomorrow night like you would anyone else you were dating."_

"Wait, you didn't tell her?" Regina said.

"I was going to, but she said no. She was sort of insistent about the whole come to dinner thing."

"You have to tell her."

"I can't."

"Emma, this isn't like a small secret. You are well aware of my past with your parents."

"Yes, and it's in the past. You and mom buried the hatchet."

"A hatchet, she's now going to use to kill me. Call her up, and either her tell her, or tell her we aren't coming, at least I am not."

"No, she's right. If I am going to do this, then I need to do it right for once, do it right by you. You deserve for me to not hide this relationship. So tomorrow, we'll um go to dinner at my parent's."

"Don't I even get a say in this?"


	23. Chapter 23

"We should have brought Henry with us," Regina said as Emma drove.

"This is supposed to be like a meet the parents date, I don't think that is traditionally done with one's child."

"Yes, but he could have at least been a buffer," Regina said. "I don't think I can do this. Turn the car around."

They had been going back and forth about this dinner since Emma had told her about it. She had been adamantly opposed to it, but Emma wasn't backing down either. Regina even accused her of getting some sort of delight over seeing her squirm.

"I am not turning the car around, we are almost there."

"Do you realize that I still can't move very well with these crutches, which means I am literally going to be trapped at your parents? Have you thought this through – I can't escape when your mother tries to kill me."

"Why are you so sure that it would be my mother? I am just saying, didn't she stop you from being executed once? Now my dad on the other hand, I think at the time he was all for the what was it – arrow through the heart?"

"You are not helping matters."

"I am trying to lighten the mood, get you to relax a bit."

"Why are you all of a sudden calm about this? A couple of days ago you were crying in my arms not knowing what to do about this."

"Oh I am nervous as hell," Emma said. "You don't think I haven't run a million scenarios in my head about this? Most of them end up with you and I being kicked out of the house and my parents never speaking to me again."

"Then why are we doing this? You could have called your mother and told her that you weren't ready for this step and dinner wasn't a possibility right now."

"I could have done that, and the truth is I am not sure I am ready for this step, but I know that no matter what happens you are still going to be there for me," Emma said reaching over and touching Regina's leg. "Now I am asking you to have a little faith in me that I will be there for you. I am not going let anything happen to you and if I have to make that clear to my parents right off the bat, I will."

She smiled at Emma, hoping she did have that kind of faith in her. It felt like Emma was constantly letting her down – even with this dinner, if Emma had just told her mom outright then they wouldn't be here now. She was sure if Snow knew she wouldn't be so quick to jump to a dinner with Emma and Regina. Asking Regina to have faith in her was the one thing that Regina was no longer sure she could do. This was all happening too quickly, and she couldn't help but wonder if Emma was letting it happen so quickly so she could show that it wouldn't work out between them and have an excuse to end their relationship before it really got started.

She felt like Emma's previous actions had reduced her to this weak, needy person. Where was the strong, confident woman she used to be? She was ill-equipped mentally, and frankly physically to be dealing with this now. She wanted to tell Emma again to turn the car around, but as the thought came to her, they were slowing to a stop.

They were here.

…

Emma helped Regina out of the car. "At least my parents moved to a house," Emma said as Regina adjusted her crutches. "Less stairs to go up."

"This may be the shortest dinner in the history of the world."

They went down the paved walkway to the house. Charming came out first and held open the door for them.

"Hello Regina, how are you feeling?"

"Fine," she said as she passed by him. Snow was standing just inside the foyer and Regina stopped upon seeing her. The two women merely looked at each other.

"Hey mom," Emma said coming up and giving her a small side hug. "Um … of course you know Regina."

"Yes we do," Snow said. "Please come in Regina. Dinner is ready to be served."

Emma wanted to take Regina's hand for reassurance but couldn't due to the crutches. They had only a small square table to sit around and with Snow and Charming taking opposite ends Emma and Regina were also forced to sit across from each other.

They were all being silent as their food was served and they started to eat. Yep, Regina thought, this is just as awkward as I thought it would be. She wanted to scream at Emma, tell her to say something – anything instead of being silent like she was.

…

Emma thought she was going to pass out. This was horribly uncomfortable. She had no idea what to say. It wasn't like she could tell a story about how she met Regina or anything like a normal couple would do. Her parents were well aware of how she met Regina and her rather contentious past with her.

She wanted one of her parents to say something, anything. Even if it was something bad then at least Emma could end the dinner quickly and leave with Regina. The silence was becoming oppressive. She looked at Regina, who was keeping her eyes on her plate. Damn it, she thought, how could she be so stupid to think this was in anyway going to work out.

"I would have told you yesterday in the park," she finally said to her mother. "Told you that it was Regina. I should have told you it was Regina despite you saying I could introduce you tonight at dinner. I should have told you. I told you I keep making mistakes, and clearly this was one of them. We'll just go."

Emma stood up.

"Sit," Snow said, more sternly than she meant to. "Please."

Emma sat down.

Snow sighed, and looked not at Emma, but at Regina.

"When Emma told me she had fallen in love with a woman, I admit I was taken aback by it. I had thought maybe we had grown close enough that she would feel like she could tell me such things. The thing is when she told me it was a woman she had fallen in love with, my immediate thought was it was you."

"What?" Regina and Emma said at the same time.

"It was the way you reacted when Regina got hurt in the crash," Charming said. "That wasn't the concern of someone you just know, or are even just friends with. You reacted how I would have reacted if it had been Snow in that crash – like someone had tried to take something precious from you. When your mom came home yesterday and she told me what you said, we both realized then that there was a good possibility that Regina would be with you today."

"And you are ok with this?" Regina asked.

"I am not sure ok is the word I would use," Snow said. "You have to admit this is odd, even for us. It's going to be difficult to be ok with this.'

"But we're going to support our daughter," Charming said. "She says she loves you and wants to have a relationship with you, we're not going to stand in her way. We're not going to make it difficult for her or for you."

"You should know that if you hurt Emma, I will kill you," Snow said. "Somehow that threat isn't quite as intimidating seeing as you and I have actually tried to kill each other."

"No, it's intimidating," Regina said. "Highly intimidating."


	24. Chapter 24

Emma glanced over at Regina as she drove to go pick up Henry. They hadn't said much since leaving her parent's house. They had made it through dinner, her dad talking to Regina pretty well – as they discussed some city business. Emma had noticed her mom was studying Regina when she got the chance. After dinner, before the left, Snow had hugged Emma, pulling her close, "be sure about this, for both of your sake's," Snow had said

"What are you thinking?" Emma finally asked.

"I don't know."

"You have to be thinking something. It could have gone worse."

"Yes, it could have."

They lapsed back into silence. They picked Henry up, and he was full of questions. He knew why they had gone over to his grandparents. Emma did all the talking.

"Does this mean you are officially a couple? Like I can tell people you are dating?" Henry asked.

"Yes," Emma said at the same time as Regina said, "No."

Emma looked at her, the question on the tip of her tongue. Regina turned around and looked at Henry.

"Your mom and I still have things to sort out, so while yes we are a couple, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell people we were dating just yet. Robin has been very understanding about all of this, and I would like to speak to him in person about it before we go around telling people. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Henry said. "I like Robin."

"So do I," Regina said. "Thanks for understanding."

She turned back around to Emma. "Is that ok with you?"

"Yes," Emma said. "I also understand why you want to speak to him about this."

They got home and Regina went up to her room as she was more than a sore from moving around so much. She took a couple of pain pills and laid down, falling asleep rather quickly.

Emma came up later when it was time for bed and went to Regina's room. She was lying on her back, still wearing clothes from dinner. She must have been tired, Emma thought. She went over to the bed and gently shook her awake.

"You're going to hate yourself in the morning if you wake up wearing those clothes," Emma said.

Regina looked down and saw what she was wearing and sat up in bed, moving to the edge, but not getting up. "Can you bring me something to sleep in?"

Emma went over to the dresser and pulled out some sleep ware. When she turned back to the bed, Regina was unbuttoning her shirt and pulling it off. Emma smiled as she walked back over.

"Your midsection is looking better," Emma said, although her eyes weren't exactly on it but more on her bra-encased breasts.

"I didn't think it would all be like this," Regina said. "The accident, the injuries. I have never been in a position like this where …"

"Where you had to rely on someone besides yourself?"

"Yes. It's all been a little disconcerting."

Emma sat down beside her. "I don't know that you can understand what it was like for me to be so helpless there at the scene. To see you there trapped in your car and not be able to do anything about it. It might have been even worse at the hospital because I didn't really have any right to be there. I wasn't family, or anything that anyone knew. I couldn't just sit there and hold your hand and let you know I was there."

"I think part of me knew you there," Regina said. "I don't know how to explain it, but I knew."

"I know I've made mistakes; I've hurt you, but today was a big step for both of us," Emma said taking her hand.

"I can't believe your parents knew."

"Yeah. I guess they aren't the idiots you thought they were," Emma smiled.

"I don't know about that," Regina said. "But you are right, today was a big step. One I wasn't really prepared for despite what I said about wanting you to take the step of being open about us. I wanted us to be able to go out with Henry in the open, but I didn't really think it through."

"Are you saying that you regret it?"

"No," she responded. "You said before you wanted me to have faith in you and to be honest, I didn't know that I could. It's because you hurt me. I don't know that I could go through that again. I am not saying I don't expect tough times, it would be naïve to think everything will be perfect. I am saying this badly. What I want to say is, I will have faith in you; faith in us."

She kissed Emma, who eagerly returned it. They continued kissing, Emma moving one of her hands up to Regina's breast, finally pausing to remove the bra entirely. "Do you trust me?" Emma asked, looking her directly in the eye.

"Yes, I do."

"Good." Emma kissed her again and then gently moved Regina back fully on to the bed making sure she was careful not to put any undo physical pressure on her. She had wanted to be naked with this woman for far too long, but she also knew Regina was far from 100 percent. At least I can give her mind something else to think about, Emma reasoned as she took one of Regina's breasts in her mouth, sucking on the nipple hard until she felt its stiffness fully against her tongue.

She used one of the fingers on her other hand to slightly tease the other nipple, running the tip of just along the bottom of the ever-hardening nub. She kissed her way up, stopping at the neck where she lavished attention with both her tongue and lips.

"Off," Regina said tugging at Emma's own shirt. Emma sat up and quickly removed her shirt and bra before bringing their lips together once more. Regina wasted no time taking advantage of Emma's now bare chest, grabbing two handfuls of breasts as she deepened the kiss.

Regina finally released her hold, only to grab the sides of Emma's face and pull her out of the kiss, tilting Emma's head so she could kiss that spot where her neck met her shoulders. She bit slightly into the flesh as well, wanting to leave a mark that they would both see later.

When they were seeing each other in secret they had made a game out such marks, leaving them in various spots so the other would have to deal with them the next day.

As much as Emma loved the attention she was getting, she was trying to make this evening about Regina's pleasure not hers, so she reluctantly moved – cutting off Regina's access to her neck so she could begin her downward journey. She kissed down her neck, her collarbone, again stopping to let her tongue worship at those glorious mounds of flesh. She spent time at each one, making sure each nipple was rock hard, and leaving her own mark on the right one. She gazed up at Regina and smiled after doing it.

She had to skip kissing past the breasts, not wanting to touch, even gently, her still healing midsection. But once she got further down, she realized she had a problem.

"Um," she said feeling more than a little embarrassed. Regina had a cast on her leg, and Emma hadn't really realized how to get Regina's pants off. Regina laughed seeing Emma's issue. She waved her hand and the pants and panties disappeared.

"I have I mentioned how much I love you today?" Emma said.

"Why don't you show me?"

Emma first had to move the broken leg more to the side. She did so with great care, keeping her eyes locked on Regina's to make sure she wasn't causing her any pain. Once moved, Emma settled down between her legs. Even before lowered her head, she could smell Regina's arousal and she relished the scent. From the very beginning of their sexual escapades it was the one thing they seemed to be completely compatible with. There wasn't an inch of Regina's body that she hadn't explored, touched, licked, kiss or just caressed and the same could be said for her own body, which Regina knew intimately.

She bent down, using her hands to pull back Regina's folds and she licked from the bottom up. She had even missed the taste of this woman she realized.

Emma continued to use her tongue to tease the already aroused woman, never going one rhythm for too long, wanting to draw this out for both of their pleasure's. Finally, she moved two fingers inside as she drew Regina's clit into her mouth sucking on it hard. She would then stop, using her tongue to tease it once more before bringing it back fully into her mouth. She kept a steady pulse with her fingers, but not too fast, until she heard the words she was waiting for. "Please Emma."

Just the sound of her name being said by a breathless, overly aroused Regina was enough to make Emma feel like she was on top of the world. She picked up the pace, finally curling her fingers upward to hit that oh so sensitive spot over and over again until Regina cried out her name once more as she orgasmed.

Emma kissed her gently on the insides of her thighs before moving up the bed once more and lying on her side next to the still recovering brunette. Regina finally beckoned her over closer so she could kiss her.

"I love you," Regina said.

"I love you too."


	25. Chapter 25

Regina woke first, uncomfortable as usual. She would love to have the freedom to lay on her side but with her leg still messed up, that wasn't a possibility. She shifted a little, intending on getting up, when she felt Emma's hand touch her.

"Where you going?" a barely heard, muffled voice of the blonde came from the direction of the pillow she had sunk her face into while sleeping on her stomach. Her head wasn't even turned toward Regina, who could only see the mass of hair facing her.

"I was going to get up,"

"No."

"No?"

"Bed. We stay in bed."

"I'm awake and after last night's activities I could use a shower." She used to relish taking a hot shower or bath, but with her broken leg it had become a chore. Still, she couldn't stand feeling dirty.

When Emma didn't respond, Regina assumed she fell back asleep so she started the process of moving again. Her crutches were nearby and despite having them extra padded on the hand and armpit grips, they were more than taking their toll on her. She hadn't said anything to Emma, but the truth was most of the time she was in pain whether it was from her injuries, the crutches or just over exerting herself.

Last night's exertion had her feeling sore.

She had a doctor's appointment in a couple of days and she would see then about maybe getting some higher form or pain medication.

As she moved, Emma again reached out and touched her. "Don't go," she said this time moving her head around to face her.

"You're just going to go back to sleep,"

"What's wrong with just lying in bed?"

"It's unproductive."

"I know of a few ways we can be productive,"

Emma opened her eyes this time, giving her a mischievous smile and Regina knew she had stepped right into that one. Emma moved quickly to make sure Regina wasn't going anywhere – not that it was a challenge in her current condition.

Emma pinned her down and started placing kisses in every spot she can reach. She then held herself up over Regina, "what do you think of my productivity so far Madame Mayor?"

"I don't know, you have stopped after all."

They both smiled at each other – a sense of ease and familiarity embracing them as they kissed.

…

Emma smiled as she went on patrol that night. Waking up next to Regina like that, and of course the sex – it had her feeling like all was right with the world again. She hadn't felt like this in months. That pressure that had set into her shoulders almost permanently – while more mental than physical – seemed so much more less today.

She was beginning to think that this was going to work. She and Regina could really be together.

Now that her parents knew and hadn't freaked out like she thought they would, she found the idea of going on a public date with Regina more appealing. She was already thinking of where she would take her and what they would do.

…

Henry opened the door to Robin,

"Hey buddy," he said to Henry.

"Hey Robin. Mom is in the living room."

"Thanks. Hey we still on for target shooting this weekend?"

"As long as mom doesn't put a stop to it."

"I will try to convince her that it is more than appropriate for your age."

He walked into the living room to find Regina on the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore."

"You aren't overexerting yourself again are you?"

"Maybe a little," she said thinking for a moment about the sex she had with Emma that morning.

"Anyone ever tell you that you are stubborn?"

"Constantly," she smiled.

He took a seat in the chair and there was a moment where neither said anything, nor looked at the other.

"Things are going well with you and Emma?" he asked finally.

"We had dinner at her parents' home yesterday."

"That's a big step."

"It was."

Silence.

"Robin, I care about you, you know that right?"

"Yes I do. Just like I know you love Emma. And as long as you are sure this is what you want, I will walk away."

"This is what I want. But I don't want you to walk away either. I would like it if in time we could try to be friends. I understand if that isn't possible right away, but I would like to try."

Robin got up and hugged her. "I'm not going anywhere far," he said. "If friends is all we can be, I will take that. You mean a lot to me."

"Thank you," she said, and she moved to readjust her position from the hug and winced.

"You really are sore," Robin said with concern.

"Yes," she said. "Can you hand me my water?"

He handed it to her and she took out two more pain pills and swallowed them down. She looked at the bottle, there were only three left. It wouldn't be enough to get her through to her doctor's appointment.

"Is something wrong?" Robin asked seeing her stare at the prescription bottle.

"No, just time to get the prescription filled."

"Is that the same stuff I had filled for you last week?"

"No," she lied.

* * *


	26. Chapter 26

Emma was at work when her phone rang and she smiled when she saw it was Regina. Her good mood hadn't evaporated one bit and the mere sight of her name on the phone was enough to make her happy.

"Hey you," Emma said.

"Can you get off work early?"

She heard the strain in Regina's voice. "What's wrong?"

"I … I just really need you to come home."

"Ok, I will be right there, but Regina do you need to go the hospital or something because I will call an ambulance."

"No, it's nothing like that, just I need you."

"Ok," Emma said and she rushed out telling her dad quickly that she had to go home. She knew she wasn't supposed to but she used her emergency lights to run through town. She pulled into the driveway and ran into the house, "Regina!"

"In here," Regina's voice still sounding strained came from the living room. Emma went in to find Regina on the couch.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Emma said seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"I'm in pain," she said.

Emma came closer. "Why don't you take some of the pain medication?"

"I can't. I used it all."

"I will go to the pharmacy and pick you up some more then."

"You don't understand. I used all of them. I used the refills already," she admitted.

Emma leaned over and felt Regina's face which was flushed. "You're sweating."

"Getting down here took more out of me than what I was expecting. It feels like my leg is on fire."

"You took all the pills, have you been in that much pain?" Emma asked feeling like an idiot for not noticing.

"Yes, no, I don't know. I've never been hurt before."

"Alright. We'll deal with this. I will call Dr. Whale and see if he can get you another prescription, at least something to last you until your doctor's appointment."

"No," Regina said quickly. "I can't … it's like the magic. I recognized the signs maybe a week ago but I thought maybe my leg would get better and it wouldn't matter any longer."

"I don't understand."

"Magic can be like an addiction. These pills …"

Emma nodded in understanding. Regina was afraid if she continued to take the pills she would become addicted. If she was scared then it must mean it was close enough to happening that she was worried.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I don't know. I just need you."

Emma realized Regina was giving up control to her. She was asking Emma to help her because she didn't know what to do. She needed Emma to be the decisive one for once.

"Ok. Well I know it took effort to get down here, but you are going back to bed," Emma said and she helped Regina up to her crutches. It was slow going and she could tell Regina was in pain – whether for real or if some of it was in her head, she didn't know.

Once she got her to bed, Emma went back downstairs, got some water and some over-the-counter aspirin. It wouldn't be much help, but it was something at least.

She made Regina take them and then she kicked off her own shoes and got into bed. She had Regina lay down as comfortably as she could manage, and Emma merely held on to her.

"If the pain gets bad, squeeze my hand," Emma said. "Yell at me, scream, cry, hit me, I don't care. Don't hold it in. I'm right here and I am not going anywhere."

Alone in the room with nothing to distract her, Emma knew Regina would be forced to confront the pain, not hide from it. It was probably the last thing in the world Regina wanted to do, but it had to happen.

Still Regina went nearly an hour before she gave in and squeezed Emma's hand. Things got worse from there. Regina kept trying to move wanting to get in a more comfortable position, which was impossible. A couple of times she simply told Emma that she needed to call Dr. Whale and get a new prescription, which Emma ignored.

She started to dig at her cast, determined she would get it off and risk using magic to heal it.

Finally, she broke down crying.

"I was queen," she said getting more tired by the moment. "I was queen. Queens don't get in car wrecks. They don't get hurt. They have to be strong all the time."

"No you don't," Emma said kissing her forehead. "You are the only one who thinks you need to be strong all the time."

When Regina drifted off to sleep Emma stayed there watching her for awhile. She knew when she woke up there would be more pain, more complaints maybe even more tears, but she was ready for that.

Henry came home and Emma told him that his mom had a rough day with her injuries and would be staying in bed, most likely until her doctor's appointment. He was naturally concerned, but she assured him that his mom was tough and would be ok.

Regina had a rough time when she woke up, but Emma stayed there with her, doing her best to distract her from the pain this time by talking to her. She had thought of another way to distract her, but realized their sex had probably contributed to Regina's pain a little bit. She would have to control her hormones better until Regina was actually feeling up to having sex.

…

Emma sat holding Regina's hand as Regina told Dr. Whale about how she had used all the pills and would be thankful if he could prescribe her something a little less powerful. To Whale's credit he didn't lecture Regina too much, although Emma noticed that he made note of her holding Regina's hand. He didn't say anything about it, but Emma almost smiled when he addressed them both, not just talking directly to Regina.

He told Emma to keep an eye on Regina's dosage and to call him if there were any further issues.

As for the leg, it was healing on schedule and next week if things checked out ok Whale would consider having the cast removed. That more than anything made Regina happy.

Later that night as they lay in bed Regina looked at her.

"Thank you," she said. "for everything. I can't imagine going through this without you here."

"You're welcome. I hope you know I am here because I love you so much."

"Yes, I do," Regina said motioning her over so she could have a kiss.


	27. Chapter 27

Regina pushed the weight out from her body, held it for two seconds and then pulled back. She did it nine more times to complete the set.

"That's enough for the day," her trainer said.

"Are you sure? I think I can do more," she replied.

"No. We don't want to overdo it. Rehab isn't about speed, it's about building your strength back up and knowing when to push yourself and when to stop."

"Ok, thanks Roger,"

"I will see you back here in two days," he said.

She walked to the locker room, her limp getting less apparent each day. She had been without the cast for three weeks now and had been working with Roger three days a week at the municipal gym trying to get back into shape.

It was harder work than she imagined it would be, but she was happy with how things were going. Overall things were going really well. People around town now knew that she and Emma were dating and there had been no huge backlash over it. Yes there were a few looks – a particularly bad one from Hook – but for the most part if people thought it odd that they were together they were keeping it to themselves.

There was another less awkward dinner with Emma's parents, which included Henry. Emma and her father spent a lot of the time talking about their plans for cracking down on the street racing. They now had a fairly detailed map of where the meet up points were along with surveillance photos and videos of the main culprits, including Derek who hadn't let his guilty plea and community service stop him.

Regina knew they were planning to arrest them all once they had all the evidence they needed. She was happy to see that Emma was allowing her father to take the lead on it. These people thought that street racing was harmless, even after she had been hit, and they needed to be stopped. She needed to know the streets were safer.

She had bought a new car since hers was totaled, but she had found she was reluctant to drive. She tried to chalk it up to being unused to it since she was laid up for so long, but she knew that wasn't the reason. She had never fully remembered the accident and that was ok with her. She didn't want to remember it.

Still every time she got into the car she felt this trepidation particularly if Henry was in the car with her. The idea of him being hurt was practically overwhelming at times.

As mayor she needed to know when the arrests were coming, but personally she would rather not have anything to do with it. And even though Emma was letting Charming take the lead she had sensed a growing tension in the young woman.

She got home and cooked dinner happy to see that Emma could join them. She had been working some later nights because of the street racers so they hadn't got to see each other as much.

"How did the therapy go today?" Emma asked after dinner as they were readying for bed. "I meant to ask early."

"It went fine. Roger isn't letting me push myself too hard, as much as I may want to."

"Roger is a good guy. I've done some sparring with at the gym before. Guy knows his stuff. So I was going to tell you in the morning, but um we're doing the arrests tomorrow night. We know where they will be at that time and the prosecuting attorney says we have enough evidence for prosecution."

"You will be careful."

"I will be," Emma said coming up to her and putting her arms around her. "I know what I have to come home to."

"Don't you go forgetting it," Regina said before kissing her.

"Never," Emma said kissing her back.

"Lay down on the bed," Regina said.

Emma raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as she did as instructed.

"Take off your shirt," Regina said next. "And the panties."

She had already changed into a T-shirt to wear to bed so she didn't have a bra on. After removing her clothes her breath caught a little at the sight of Regina checking her out. They had been careful with their love-making, Emma not wanting to push Regina past any physical limits and with the way she had been working lately there hadn't been a lot of time.

"Turn around and lay on your stomach."

She knew better than to question when Regina wanted to be in control of the situation so she did as instructed. She heard but couldn't see Regina remove her clothes. The first touch came on her leg from Regina's hand. She ran her hand up the length of it, gliding it over her ass. She felt the bed shift as Regina got on it, straddling her.

Regina leaned over her. "I want to show you how appreciative I've been for all your help while I was recuperating."

Emma wasn't about to say it wasn't necessary. She didn't feel Regina owed her anything, but she wasn't about to turn down appreciation sex either.

But Regina didn't start with kisses. Instead she began to massage Emma's shoulders. The massage started out somewhat hard – mostly due to how tense Emma was. The muscles in that area were tight and it took a while for Regina to work on them, once she did though Emma relaxed more.

She took the pillow out from under her head so she could lie flatter and Regina brushed her hair aside and massaged along her neck, running her fingers in small circles at the base of her skull. As she finished there Regina placed light kisses down her neck and on her shoulder.

Emma didn't know it was possible to feel this relaxed yet so incredibly turned on at the same time. Regina went back to massaging her shoulders and then started moving down her back more. She took time massaging along her shoulder blades and then at the small of her back. She shifted down the bed more so she could even massage the muscles in Emma's butt. She moved again and began running her tongue down her back, occasionally stopping to place more kisses.

When she ran her fingernails down her back, not enough to hurt but enough to set Emma's nerves on fire, Emma made an appreciative noise. Regina took up a spot in between Emma's legs, forcing her to move them apart a little more to accommodate her. She placed a kiss on the small of Emma's back as she brought her fingers in to begin teasing Emma's clit.

Emma was already wet but as soon as Regina's fingers made contact she contracted the muscles in her legs and her toes at the sensation. Regina kept it slow though. She worked around the clit putting pressure on it directly only a few times. With her free hand she continued to touch every part of Emma she could reach, brushing against her side, her leg and moving forward just a bit to slide her hand under Emma, who moved up a slightly to allow it so Regina could grab her breast. Regina was bent over her and was kissing her back while simultaneously working her breast and clit and Emma could tried not to writhe too much because she didn't want to break the rhythm Regina had going.

It was Regina who stopped though. She felt the bed shift again as Regina moved back a bit.

"Turn around on your back."

Emma scrambled to do so careful not to accidentally kick Regina who was between her legs. She looked up at Regina who was nude and clearly aroused. She wanted to get up and take her into her arms, but this was Regina's show and she didn't want to interfere with whatever her lover had in mind.

Regina picked up Emma's left foot and began to massage it. Emma, who had never had a foot massage, was caught off guard by the sensations it was producing. Regina merely smiled at her as she clearly knew that even the nerves in her foot could be manipulated to bring pleasure. Regina gave the same treatment to the right foot and then began massaging up the right leg, going all the way up her thigh.

Once there, Regina bent down and kissed the inside of the thigh and then ran her tongue along Emma's slit, not going in, but just enough to tease her before sitting back up and massaging down her left leg.

Emma was sure there was not a nerve left in her body that wasn't firing on all cylinders. She could smell their combined arousal as Regina came back up her body, licking on one of Emma's nipples while using her fingers to play with the other. She grabbed both breasts with her hands and kissed Emma – deep and hard.

Their cores pressed together and Emma bucked her hips to feel more of Regina. She ran her hands down Regina's side and took two handfuls of her ass and squeezed which only caused Regina to kiss her even more.

They continued this way, kissing and moving against each other. Regina reached down and pushed three fingers into her. Emma was more than wet enough to accept them but still surprised as Regina usually liked to start with just two.

They were both panting by this time, their bodies coated with a sheen of sweat, but neither wanted to stop touching the other.

Emma wasn't even sure what kinds of noises she was making as Regina again took a nipple into her mouth sucking on it and nibbling a little with her teeth. Her fingers continued to move inside of Emma going harder and faster now.

"Regina," she breathed out. "God. Regina."

A few seconds later the orgasm hit her, flowing through her entire body. One second her body was entirely tensed from the force of it and a second later her body felt like jelly. She barely noticed as Regina licked her fingers clean and moved up the bed giving her a light kiss on the lips as she continued to catch her breath.

Regina rested her head next to hers and put an arm across Emma's midsection and a leg over one of hers. She knew Regina was probably in need of getting off but right now Emma felt like a guy who was spent.

"I love you," she heard Regina say as her eyes started to close.

"I love you too," she said, forcing her eyes to open.

"Go to sleep," Regina said.

"But …"

"I'm in charge tonight, and I say you go to sleep."

"Ok," she said letting her eyes closed not that she felt like she had much choice.

Regina, while wishing she had gotten the chance to take care of her needs, couldn't help but smile at her how quickly Emma fell asleep. Normally, Emma was not a one and done kind of woman which meant she must have been either really tired or Regina had done an exceptional job.

Regina was more than happy to take the credit.


	28. Chapter 28

"Could you stop pacing?" Snow asked.

"How can you sit there so calmly? They should have been back by now," Regina replied.

She wasn't sure how she let Emma talk her into staying over at her parent's house with Snow as the raid against the street racers went down. She had been on edge all day and night sure something was going to go wrong.

The fact Snow as being so calm about it wasn't helping her mood. It was her husband and daughter out there yet Snow hadn't gotten worked up all night.

"There is no way of knowing when they will get here, they both made that clear. This is a big operation," Snow said.

Regina knew she was right but couldn't they at least take the time to text and say they were alright. It was late – well past midnight.

Henry was asleep in the guest room. He knew Emma and his grandfather were out arresting the street racers but he didn't have the nervousness about it that his other mother did. Regina was fairly sure he was asleep within minutes of lying down. She didn't want him to worry though, not like she was worrying.

Emma had assured her that it would be fine – that she would be fine. She even went as far as promising not to do anything that could be construed as idiotic. It didn't make Regina feel better.

…

Snow watched as Regina continued to pace, or go to the window and look out or glance at her phone. She wasn't sure the woman had sat down for a solid five minutes since she got there.

She still had to wonder how it was that her daughter and Regina had managed to get together.

Yet when she saw the two of them together she could see it. They were both in love. And as strange as it seemed to her (and probably a significant portion of the town); Snow wasn't going to stand in the way of it. Regina made Emma happy and that is all Snow really needed to know about it.

Plus seeing Regina squirm a little with Snow being in the role of the mother was a small perk for her.

…

About 45 minutes later Regina was ready to leave and go find Emma. She had lost the ability to think rationally about the situation.

That is when she got a text.

"Back at station. Processing arrests. Told u not to worry. Luv u."

She felt relief sweep over her. She wasn't sure what she would have done if something had gone wrong and that is what scared her. She had stopped Emma from getting revenge on those racers who hurt her, had convinced her to do the legal and the right thing in order to get them off the streets. Regina was worried that if something had happened to Emma she would not be as rational in that moment.

She may have put being the Evil Queen behind her, but she also knew how easy it was to give into her emotions and act out of anger.

Snow, who also got a text from Charming decided to head to bed. There was no way Regina was going to be able to sleep so she asked Snow if it would be ok if Henry continued to sleep there. Snow said it would be fine, and Regina left.

When she got into her car she fully intended on going home. Instead she drove to the sheriff's office. She walked in and immediately saw it was fuller than she had ever seen before. There were men and women sitting on chairs and benches with their hands cuffed. Officers were moving around taking mugshots, filling out paperwork or escorting people to and from interrogation rooms or holding cells.

Regina neared Emma's office when she saw him – Derek, one of those responsible for her crash. She had seen his mugshot in the newspaper, but had never seen him in person. Due to the plea deal she hadn't gone to court to see him sentenced because it wasn't necessary for her to be there. He was in the holding cell and she bypassed Emma's office entirely and walked over to it. She was several feet from it when she stopped.

He wasn't looking at her. He was sitting on a bench and was looking up at the ceiling. He didn't seem to be concerned about the fact he was in jail. He wasn't tense like the other people were.

She continued to stare but her mind wasn't processing any of it. Her mind was back in that night – the night she was in her car when this man hit her. His car had bared down on her so fast there was nothing she could have done. She remembered the initial collision now, the loss of control she felt as the other car hit her and her car spun. She had been so scared in those brief seconds –scared like she couldn't remember ever being scared before. But it wasn't the cars hitting her that had done the most damage as in her mind she relived the moment of hitting that electric pole.

She had felt pain instantly upon impact as if her entire body had been punched. Then nothing as her head had hit something – steering wheel or maybe it was what left of her driver's side door and window. She wasn't sure.

A hand on her shoulder practically made her jump.

"Hey," Emma said. "Are you ok? What are you doing here?"

It took a second for Regina's mind to catch up to what Emma had asked, but all of it went away again when she saw Emma.

"What happened?" Regina said, seeing the bruise beside Emma's right eye and cheek.

"I took an elbow running down one of the suspects. It's fine," Emma assured her. She was more worried about seeing Regina there staring at Derek. She wasn't even about to mention that it was Derek who gave her the elbow. "What are you doing here?"

Emma began guiding Regina back to her office.

"I don't know. I just couldn't sleep. I've been on edge all night and I thought I would come see you in person then I … I saw him. Why doesn't he seem concerned that he is in jail?"

Emma shrugged, "hard to say. It could be that he thinks he is going to get out of this one too. It could be that he is career criminal. He may not have an established record but that doesn't mean anything really. There are some people for whom this is a life. For all I know he finds this all as an exciting extension of his street racing. What about you though, are you ok?"

"Yes," she said. "When I was looking at him I … I remembered more of the crash."

She got her into the office and had her sit. She closed the door to give them a little privacy and scooted her chair up to Regina's, holding her hand.

"There was nothing I could have done," Regina said. "Even with magic there was nothing I could have done to avoid it. It all happened so fast. I could have died."

"You didn't though. You didn't die. You were hurt and you recovered. It's been a struggle I know but you made it through. And now that we have arrested all of these guys other people are save. I'm not going to let what happened to you happen to others in this town. I promise."

Regina was comforted by being there with Emma. She knew she should let Emma get back to work but she wanted to be selfish for a little bit as she hugged her. She wanted to feel Emma's arms around her – had wanted it all night. She was reluctant to let go, but finally did.

"I'm going to go home," Regina said. "How much longer are you going to be?"

"An hour at least, but probably more."

Regina nodded and stood. "I love you," she said kissing Emma.

"I love you too. Now go home and get some sleep. You have to be exhausted."

Emma knew Regina had been up all day and night, unlike Emma who had prepared for a late night by getting up early and then sleeping for four hours in the late afternoon and evening so she would be more awake.

…

Regina was up for only a short time upon arriving home. Now that she had seen Emma and knew she was alright, the tension from earlier disappeared. She laid down and quickly fell asleep. She was still asleep when Emma got home – not waking until she felt the bed shift as Emma got into it.

She moved closer and put her arm over Emma's midsection. She felt Emma give her a kiss on the top of the head.

"Sorry to wake you," Emma said quietly.

"It's ok," Regina said although she was barely awake.

"I love you so much Regina, I hope you believe that."

"I do," Regina said. Her eyes were closed and she felt sleep pulling her back under.

"I know we've only been officially going out for a short time, but you and I have been together for much longer than that. I know we have had our share of struggles and misunderstandings and all out fights, but I love you," she said. "I have no more doubts. They are gone and no longer a concern. You Regina Mills are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me?"

"Ok," Regina mumbled. Emma smiled as she knew Regina was completely asleep. She would ask her again the morning, she thought, but still she moved to get something from her bedside table. She opened up the small box and slipped the ring on Regina's finger.


	29. Chapter 29

Emma woke to an empty bed and checked her phone to see the time – it was past noon. She got up eager to find Regina. There was no note, no returned ring so she was going to take those as good signs.

Despite wanting to see Regina she showered, knowing if she had to ask Regina to marry her again she would at least have to look presentable or she could be Regina would remark on it.

She hurried downstairs finally and saw Henry first. He was lying on the couch watching a movie while playing a game on his tablet. "Where is your mom?"

"In her office."

"How has she seemed today?"

"Um, normal I guess."

"Nothing out of the ordinary?"

"No," he said. "Grandma dropped me off this morning and mom said the arrests went fine last night. Nice bruise by the way."

"Yeah, looks a little worse this morning than it did last night," she said. "But a few days and I will have forgotten it was there. How about you, me and Regina go out to eat tonight to celebrate."

"What are we celebrating?"

"You know the end of the arrests and stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Yes, stuff, how about it? We could go out of town, eat someplace different."

"Sounds good to me."

"Good. I will go make sure your mom is up for it."

She figured she and Regina could tell him the other "stuff" later tonight. She made her way to Regina's home office and knocked on the door first before coming in. She got closer to the desk and noticed Regina wasn't wearing the ring and immediately felt nervous.

"Um, thanks for letting me sleep in," she said, taking a seat. Yep, definitely no ring she observed.

"You are welcome. You certainly needed it and deserved it."

"How are things today?" Emma asked, unsure how to ask Regina why she wasn't wearing the ring.

"I would say things are good," Regina said. "Except for a small mystery I thought our town sheriff could help me with."

"And what is that?"

Regina reached into her top drawer and pulled out the ring, holding it between two fingers. "Maybe you could explain this."

"Well, it's a diamond engagement ring."

"I gathered that. Why did I wake up with it on my hand?"

"Because I asked you to marry me last night and you said ok."

"What? When? I would think I would remember if I got engaged last night."

"In your defense you were a little tired, a lot tired. It was when I got home last night. I told you I loved you and you said you believed me when I said it and you were sort of drifting off to sleep when I said some other stuff and then I asked you to marry me and you said ok."

"I said ok?"

"Yes."

"Just ok?"

"Yes."

"I wouldn't say ok to something like that."

"You don't want to marry me?" Emma said feeling her heart constrict. She honestly didn't think Regina would reject her.

"Yes I want to marry you, but I don't want my wedding proposal to be something I say 'ok' to and then fall asleep."

"I thought it was kind of cute actually," Emma said feeling relief wash over her. That was until she saw the look on Regina's face. "Hey, I was planning on asking again this morning you know if you weren't quite sure about the one last night. I can do it right now."

She got up prepared to take the ring and get down one her knee, but Regina held the ring back from her.

"You will not ask me in my office like it is some random thing," Regina said.

"What does it matter?"

"Miss Swan, if you want me to say yes to your proposal you had better give it a better presentation than that."

"Oh. I thought you, Henry and I could go out of town tonight to eat, would that be an acceptable time to do it?"

Regina handed her back the ring. "That would acceptable yes," she said. "And Miss Swan, never breathe a word to anyone that you asked me the first time and I said ok."

"You are high maintenance, you know that right?"

"I was a queen, I imagine all queens are," Regina smiled. Emma bent down and kissed her.

…

15 months later

"Ok, ok, everyone settle down, it's my turn for the spotlight," Ruby said. She had taken the microphone in order to give her Maid of Honor speech. The two brides sat at the wedding party table, the smiles seemingly plastered to their face since Emma had walked down the aisle with her father. It was a touching scene that the residents of Storybrooke wouldn't soon forget as Charming formally gave away his daughter's hand in marriage to Regina.

Ruby, wearing a bridesmaid's dress that she made Emma choose, stood beside Emma as the best man, Henry, stood beside Regina. Emma was dressed in a white suit that still made her look feminine while Regina had opted for a white dress that simple yet elegant.

But now that the deed was done, and they were wed Ruby felt the real party could begin.

"Alright, as the Maid of Honor, it's my duty to say embarrassing things about Emma that will make you laugh but still makes Regina look at her like a love sick pup. And let's face it, who but Emma could make Regina look like a complete softy. But what I am about to tell you next would probably be a secret under any other circumstances," Ruby said. "Then again I got Emma drunk at her bachelorette party and it isn't like she swore me to secrecy."

Everyone laughed. Regina looked at Emma, still smiling, "Should I be concerned?"

"I was so drunk that night I could have told her anything."

"If she mentions that night at the sheriff's office with the handcuffs, I swear I will have this marriage annulled," Regina whispered to her while keeping the smile on her face.

"That reminds me did you pack the handcuffs?"

"Of course my dear."

"So anyway there was Emma practically passed out as I dragged her back to my place, and I get her down on the couch and she starts laughing like the happy drunk she is at that moment. And she says she is going to tell me about how she proposed to Regina. Now we have all heard her tell his story like a million times, about how she took Regina and Henry out to this fancy restaurant out of town and then afterward they were walking on the boardwalk together looking at the ocean and she got down on one knee and asked Regina to marry her and Regina said yes and they hugged and kissed. All very romantic," Ruby said. "But that isn't the story Emma told me that night."

"You see the night before this romantic gesture was the night of the raid to clear the streets of those racers and Emma comes home to Regina who is like dead asleep. She wakes up a tiny bit as Emma gets in bed and tells her that she loves her. Then Emma gets it in her mind that she will ask Regina right then and there and so she does, and what does Regina reply before falls back asleep – Ok. She said ok and fell asleep at her own marriage proposal."

The reception hall erupted in laughter and Regina squeezed Emma's hand hard and leaned in whispering, "forget the annulment I am just going to kill you."

"Let me kill Ruby first."

"Deal."

Ruby went on with some other jabs at Emma and Regina in her speech before handing the mike over to the best man.

Henry stood up and walked in front the wedding party's table.

"Um, I am not really sure what I am supposed to say. Emma said I should say something funny. Regina said I should say something nice and polite. And I guess that kind of sums of my moms. They are different. If I want a good meal, I go see what Regina is cooking. If I want something unhealthy I go out to eat with Emma. A lot of people probably didn't give them much of a chance when they found out they were getting married. I may be a teenager but I am well aware that there are people in this town who will never be able to look at my mother and not see the evil queen, and that's ok because those are the people we don't need in our lives. I look at Regina and I seem my mother. I see the woman who held her arms out to me when I was learning to walk and the woman who was there to pick me after my first day of school. She had made mistakes and she knows it and she accepts it. She accepts that there are people who will always hate her. For a long time I thought she just unhappy and had gotten used to being unhappy and then Emma came along."

"Emma and I don't have the same kind of relationship that Regina and I have. Emma is kind of like having this big goofy kid around at times. She can be serious and tough, but with me it's about being relaxed and having fun. My point is while they are different I get the best of both of them at all times. And I couldn't be more happy than I am now. I guess what I really wanted to say tonight is that this is my family. This is what the three of us wanted; it's what the three of us needed."

Both women got up and came around the table and hugged him.

…

Emma came back from the beach house and sat down on the blanket next to her wife. She handed her the glass and filled with the wine she brought back with her. They had been on their honeymoon for three days now, three days of constant touching and kissing. They sat now watching the sunset into the ocean.

"Can you believe we made it?" Regina asked.

"Of course," Emma said.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I never doubted it."

"You are such a liar," Regina said, giving her a kiss.

"There may have been some doubt, especially when you started dating Robin. The way I looked at it though, as soon as I got my shit together and knew I loved you there was no way I wasn't going to do whatever it took to get you to believe that I loved you. See I knew you loved me. That night when you tried to get me to see that it was more than just sex, you weren't telling me anything I didn't know. I knew there were feelings there between us, but I wasn't ready to accept it and you wouldn't accept anything less. And you shouldn't have accepted anything less. You were right to cast me out of your life. You were right like you are right about a lot of things. As stupid as my first proposal was with you, when you said ok and I put that ring on your finger that was the happiest moment of my life. In that moment I knew you believed in my love for you."

She gave her wife another kiss.

"You do believe in me, in us, and that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together, right?" Emma asked.

"Yes, I do."


End file.
